The Senate will be on full lockdown on Tuesday, March 16. But it will be on a semi-lockdown on Wednesday, March 17 as the Senate offices have to be fumigated tomorrow.
The Senate, however, will take up on Wednesday only two bills that do not require amendments as they need to be taken down by stenographers.
The powerful bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA), on the other hand, would have its committee hearing and possibly plenary session on Wednesday since its has no COVID-19 problems, according to Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III who is the concurrent CA chairman.
The CA has stenographic staff that are separate from that of the Senate, Sotto added.
Sotto made these announcements as he, a senior citizen, has to be physically present to make its plenary sessions official although most of the senators attend sessions through video teleconferencing.
The lockdown followed the first team of the Senate’s Bills and Index Division was placed under.
The second team of the Division was also hobbled after a male personnel went to the Senate although his wife was not feeling well.
The husband, who said he was not feeling well either, was taken to a hospital and was tested positive for COVID-19.
Thus, the Senate leadership placed the Bills and Index under full lockdown, Sotto said. Sotto also said that the Senate has to impose strict health protocols as COVID-19 infection rate topped the 5,000 daily rate yesterday.
Sotto informed his colleagues last Sunday that their plenary should not go beyond 6 p.m. in consideration of Senate employees and officials who have no personal vehicles.
The Senate usually ends its sessions past 7 p.m..
There are times sessions last until 9 p.m.
Today’s session ended at 6:20 p.m. as titles of many House of Representatives have to be read by senators.
The Senate holds regular sessions from Mondays to Wednesdays, starting at 3 p.m.
Senate employees have been advised to bring their own lunch for the next two weeks as the Senate Lounge and employees’ canteen will be fumigated.
This after three employees of the Senate caterer were found COVID-19 positive last Friday.
Sotto told his colleagues that he heaved a sigh of relief after he and Senators Joel Villanueva, Manuel Lapid and Sherwin Gatchalian did not leave the Senate session hall since they arrived today.