15 infections prompt July 1-3 closure of Cebu provincial capitol building

The Capitol building, which is located in the heart of Cebu City, will be closed to the public from July 1 to 3 to make way for a “thorough disinfection” of its offices. (DALE ISRAEL/INQUIRER VISAYAS)

CEBU CITY—The provincial capitol building here would shut its doors to the public from July 1 to 3 to disinfect offices after at least 15 employees tested positive for SARS Cov2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia issued a memo announcing the closure and suspension of work at the capitol building. Work would resume on Monday (July 6).

Some of provincial government employees will have to work from home.

Employees at the Provincial Health Office, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and its Civil Service Unit will continue to report for work while disinfection procedures are ongoing.

The capitol building is at the center of the city, which is now a coronavirus hot spot because of high numbers of COVID-19 cases and their continuing surge.

The 15 infections at the provincial capitol included 10 active cases, four recoveries and one death. Most infected workers are residents of Cebu City while two are from the cities of Mandaue and Talisay.

As of June 29, the Department of Health recorded a total of 8,416 COVID-19 cases in the entire island of Cebu—5,915 in Cebu City, 1,120 in Cebu province, 772 in Mandaue City and 609 in Lapu-Lapu City.

TSB