With 12 employees who tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Sandiganbayan decided to suspend work starting today, Tuesday, Jan. 4, until Jan. 6, Thursday.
Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje Tang said the three days will be devoted to disinfection of the offices and comprehensive contact tracing.
“Any extremely urgent matters requiring onsite presence may be acted upon accordingly by the concerned offices subject to the discretion of the respective Justice/ Head of Office,” Tang’s memorandum stated.
The work suspension was recommended by the anti-graft court’s medical section after antigen tests conducted on officials and personnel last Monday, Jan. 3, and was approved by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo.
The Supreme Court (SC) had also suspended work until Wednesday, Jan. 5 due to a surge in COVID-19 infections among personnel.
Chief Justice Gesmundo said work in the SC will resume on Jan. 6 with 50 percent of personnel reporting physically for work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The other 50 per cent will work onsite on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
All SC officials and employees are required to work from home (WFH) for two days to complete the required 40-hour workweek.
For trial courts in the NCR, a skeleton force of at least 30 percent to at most 50 percent “shall be maintained to enable the courts to sufficiently address matters and concerns, as far as practicable” from Jan. 3 to 15, Deputy Court Administrator and Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the Court Administrator Raul Bautista Villanueva had earlier announced.
The National Capital Region had earlier been placed under the more restrictive COVID-19 Alert Level 3 until Jan. 15.