With 72 infections, Cebu City Hall, other offices shut doors for decontamination

The Cebu City Hall will close its doors to the public for two days to allow the disinfection of offices. (FILE PHOTO)

CEBU CITY—The Cebu City Hall and its satellite offices will be closed to the public from July 9 to July 10 to allow the thorough disinfection of offices after at least 72 city government employees tested positive for SARS Cov2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Cebu City Administrator Floro Casas Jr., in an interview, said authorities will also modify the layout of offices to keep people at safe distances from each other.

“We have had a number of positive cases,” said Casas. The surge in infections, he said, prompted Mayor Edgardo Labella to order city hall and other city offices closed for disinfection.

Cebu City has become a coronavirus hot spot because of a surge in infections that prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to send Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu over to supervise the enforcement of lockdowns and other health protocols.

Casas said the city’s command center would continue to entertain queries from the public.

Traffic enforcers of the Cebu City Transportation Office, he said, will also continue doing field work.

A work-from-home scheme has been implemented to limit the movement of city government employees.

Casas said at least 72 employees got infected since the pandemic started.

Of these cases, four died of the disease including Cebu City Councilor Antonio Cuenco, a political stalwart in Cebu, who died last June 27 of COVID-19.

The Philippine flag in front of city hall is flying at half-staff as a sign of respect for workers on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 who had died of the disease.

TSB