After hosting the country’s first-ever provincial vaccination rollout of Sinovac vaccines outside Metro Manila for medical frontliners, the Antipolo City Hospital System Annex IV (ACHS) in Antipolo City has five medical workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 recently.

City government spokesperson, Dr. Casimiro "Junjun" Ynares III, revealed in a post on Facebook that as a result of the COVID-19 test on the five medical personnel, the ACHS Annex IV in Antipolo City had to close its Operating Room (OR) and Delivery Room (DR) for a week to undergo the disinfection and sanitation measures.

“Ito po ay hakbang upang siguruhin ang kaligtasan ng bawat isa at maiwasan din ang pagkalat ng virus (It is the measure to ensure the safety of each and every one and to prevent the spread of the virus),” former Mayor Ynares said.

With the temporary shutdown of the OR and DR until March 14, the ACHS Annex IV has to transfer its services to Annex 1 in Barangay Dela Paz, Annex II in Dalig, and Annex III in Cabading. Normal operation of the OR and DR will resume on March 15.

The Emergency Room and Out Patient Department at Annex IV, however, remain open to the public.

Dr. Ynares told Manila Bulletin that the five medical personnel who tested positive have not been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine during the recent vaccination activity at the ACHS Annex IV.

On March 4, the ACHS Annex IV became the venue of the first provincial vaccination rollout of the national government for medical frontliners using Sinovac vaccines, making the vaccination drive a historic moment for the city.

Dr. Ynares said the vaccination rollout went out smoothly with only two medical personnel complaining of mild dizziness.

On March 8, the city government also had to shut down the operation of the City Local Civil Registry Office after six of its personnel acquired the coronavirus.