ILOILO City – The regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Jaro district halted its operation for a week beginning yesterday.
A female employee tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to Regional Director Cyril Ticao.
DOLE’s Iloilo Field Office, which shares the same building with the regional office, was also temporarily shut down.
“Gin-suspend namon ang office kay mapa-disinfect kami kay may isa kami ka employee nga nag-positive,” Ticao told Panay News.
While not disclosing the circumstance how the employee got infected, Ticao confirmed that she had no exposure to a positive patient or history of travel outside Region 6 in areas where COVID-19 was prevalent.
The employee, he said, was asymptomatic and in isolation at a quarantine facility.
She was the first DOLE-6 personnel to test positive for COVID-19, added Ticao.
According to the regional director, the employee was discovered to be a COVID carrier after all of the agency’s personnel were subjected to swabbing as part of precautionary measures.
The infected employee’s test result only came out Friday morning.
“Please be informed that the DOLE Regional Office and its Iloilo Field Office will temporarily suspend office operation starting today, August 28, 2020 until September 3, 2020 while the cleaning, disinfection and contact tracing activities are underway,” read part of Ticao’s advisory.
“Our field offices in Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Negros Occidental and Capiz are open to cater to the needs of our clients and stakeholders in their respective jurisdiction,” it added.
Ticao also advised their clients to visit DOLE’s website through ro6.dole.gov.ph or Facebook page at @doleregion6./PN
