COTABATO CITY – Mayor Romeo Araña of Midsayap in North Cotabato ordered on Friday the disinfection of the municipal hall after nine employees tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Araña said the employees were subjected to antigen tests that turned out to be positive of the disease. Confirmatory swab tests done on the employees bared the same result.
“The town hall has been closed since Thursday afternoon, and office work will resume Monday, March 15,” Araña told reporters Friday.
All the nine workers are now at the town’s isolation facility while contact tracing is ongoing, he added.
“They are asymptomatic. Hopefully, they will be with their families after 14 days of isolation,” the mayor said.
Family members of the infected employees were told to isolate themselves. Individuals who had close contact with the workers were also advised to impose self-quarantine and report to medical authorities if Covid-19 symptoms arise.
Araña said the incident will not hamper the town hall operations and other basic government services.