MANILA, Philippines — Two personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) have contracted the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda revealed Thursday.
Because of this, Antiporda said Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has ordered that the entire DENR compound in Quezon City be placed on lockdown.
“There’s an immediate order coming from the secretary that we put the whole DENR compound on lockdown for immediate sanitation of the place,” Antiporda said in a Zoom meeting with reporters.
“As of now, we’re still coordinating with the executive director of the EMB. Sa office niya mismo yung dalawang staff (The two staff are working for him),” he added about the COVID-19 positive personnel.
Asked until when the DENR compound will be on lockdown, Antiporda answered: “Sandali lang, kasi ang importante ay maalis sila dun sa lugar, masanitize yung lugar, [tapos] trabaho ulit tayo.”
(It won’t be long, because what’s important is that the people be out of the place, then the place be sanitized, then we’ll go back to work.)
To date, the Philippines has 32,295 COVID-19 cases, with 8,656 recoveries and 1,204 fatalities.