By Jeffrey Damicog
Sixteen personnel of the Department of Justice (DOJ) were discovered to have the deadly 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) following rapid antibody tests conducted on Wednesday, June 10.
“I have instructed all those who have tested positive to stop reporting for work and undergo swab tests immediately,” said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra who pointed out that those who tested positive will have to undergo confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
The Secretary noted that there have been “16 positives out of 175 tested so far today.” This makes a total of 59 DOJ personnel who have been tested positive with COVID-19 after undergoing rapid testing.
Guevarra said there have been 43 persons who earlier tested positive after 273 DOJ personnel underwent rapid tests on Tuesday, June 9, and Friday, June 5. “We just told them to work from home if they have already been tested or if they have no need to be physically present,” he said.
Despite the number of employees being tested positive with the COVID-19, the Secretary said there has been no work stoppage at the DOJ. “We did not suspend work at DOJ,” he said.
The Secretary assured that “the premises will be disinfected again.”