MANILA, Philippines — Two weeks after it resumed operations, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) suspended all transactions starting on Wednesday at its central office in Quezon City after 12 employees tested positive for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In a statement, LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said that a disinfection of the main office and licensing center would be conducted until Friday with work expected to resume on Monday.
“The health and safety of our employees and of the public [are] important. We have suspended operations in order to make sure that the threat of spreading the coronavirus at our offices is contained. We are now conducting disinfection as well as further testing on all of our employees,” he added.
100 employees tested
Around 100 employees underwent testing on Monday in line with the protocol for the resumption of operations. The LTO reopened its doors on June 3 after Metro Manila was placed under general community quarantine.
The 12 who were found positive are now waiting for the results of their confirmatory tests. No need to panic
Weng Ocfemia, LTO media consultant, told the Inquirer there was no need for the public to panic. The employees currently under observation were from the offices of the executive director, finance and law enforcement who do not normally interact with outsiders, she said. No positive cases were found among employees from the licensing or registration offices which had been dealing with a huge number of applicants seeking to renew their driving licenses or vehicle registration.
“The LTO observed the standard health protocol set forth by the [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] like wearing of face masks, social distancing, [the use of] foot bath, hand sanitizer, thermal scanners and the like to protect its employees and clients,” Ocfemia added.
All employees, however, at the central office and licensing center would undergo rapid antibody testing today, Galvante said.