Coronavirus continues spreading in Bangsamoro gov’t, infects 35 more employees

COTABATO CITY—The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS Cov2, continued to spread in the Bangsamoro autonomous government, infecting more employees.

From only three workers of the autonomous government’s budget office, more employees had tested positive for coronavirus, all of them connected with the Office of the Chief Minister, the highest ranking official of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

In a statement released on Friday (Sept. 11), Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said the new patients were either those on the frontline of the fight against the pandemic or employees of offices with essential functions that support the regional government’s campaign against the spread of COVID-19.

More than 180 office workers were tested after three budget office employees were infected.

The test results for 35 workers came out on Thursday (Sept. 10).

“They are all in stable condition and are now isolated,” Ebrahim said.

Of the 35, 29 are from Cotabato City and the rest are from various towns in Maguindanao province.

Ebrahim said the regional government center and the executive building remained closed for disinfection while employees in other offices have been told to work from home.

Also closed for disinfection was the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex where the session hall of the Bangsamoro parliament is located.

The regional government complex also houses some offices of the Soccsksargen region.

Earlier, Bangsamoro health minister Saffrullah Dipatuan and parliament member Marjanie Macasalong have publicly admitted to have contracted the virus.

TSB