MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) announced it is closing its central office in Pasig City starting Wednesday, August 19, until Sunday, August 23.
In a statement, DepEd said the temporary closure will “give way for a complex-wide disinfection and contact tracing activity.”
The Deped has yet to release a verified number of Deped employees who tested positive for the virus, but an Aug 17 Deped Taskforce Covid-19 memo said at least two suspect cases and one probable case from the previously reported confirmed case of the disease have physically reported for work within the past 14 days.
The two suspected cases were exposed to the Deped personnel who died and are symptomatic. The probable case, meanwhile, was exposed to one of the suspected cases.
All are under quarantine.
It assured that services will continue without interruption as all personnel will be on a work-from-home scheme.
“Financial obligations, salaries and benefits of all DepEd teaching and non-teaching personnel are already being processed, and shall be promptly paid,” DepEd said.
The five-day lockdown is in line with the Operation Guidelines on the Application of the Zoning Containment Strategy in the Localization of the National Action Plan against Covid-19 response which provides for a lockdown if at least 1 cluster of cases composed of either a suspect, probable or confirmed case/s of Covid-19 reported to the office for the past 14 days.
During the lockdown, all personnel are expected to be on a work from home arrangement while the Deped Central office Clinic continues to remotely trace Covid-19 cases.
The statement was issued days after the Deped-National Employees union(Deped-Neu) requested for lockdown for at least 14 days due to “increasing number of personnel infected of Covid-19.”
The Deped-NEU National President lawyer Domingo Alidon thanked the Deped for the response.
Earlier, DepEd said its employees who reported for work in areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or modified ECQ are entitled to a P500 daily hazard pay.