DAVAO CITY — The Davao City Hall of Justice has been placed under a total lockdown for 11 days effective September 6 until 17 to stem the spread of the infection after several court employees tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Emmanuel C. Carpio, presiding judge of the Davao City Regional Trial Court (RTC), in a letter addressed to Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez of the Supreme Courtdated September 5, said the lockdown was recommended by the City Health Office “to arrest the avalanche of contamination, spread and infection of the unabated COVID-19 virus and its surging variants.”
Carpio said results of surveillance swabbing last September 2 and 3 showed 12 personnel tested positive, five of whom from the five different offices of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities; one from RTC Branch 9; one from RTC Branch 10; 2 from RTC Branch 13; and three from the Regional State Prosecution Office.
He added that other RTC Branches, including Branches 11, 16, and 33 are still on quarantine status.
He said the disinfection of the entire building would be scheduled.
As of Sunday, DOH-Davao reported 1,123 new cases, bringing the total cases to 73,632 cases with 14,651 active, 56,704 recoveries, and 2,277 deaths.
Out of the total cases, Davao City, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mindanao, logged 39,983 cases with 6,712 active, 39,983 recoveries and 1,246 deaths. Davao de Oro tallied 4,977 cases, Davao del Norte with 13,026, Davao del Sur with 7,509, Davao Occidental with 2,284, and Davao Oriental with 5,853.