MANILA – The Department of Finance (DOF) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) suspended work in Manila on Thursday and Friday for building disinfection after heads of both offices were exposed to a person who tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
In a Viber message to journalists Thursday morning, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said work at the DOF has been suspended “for total disinfection”.
He said work resumption will be made “when the disinfection was completed and advised by the DOH (Department of Health)”.
“(I) am ordering all attached agencies to thoroughly disinfect all their premises this weekend,” he said.
On Wednesday night, Dominguez told reporters that he will go on self-isolation after being with a person who was tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.
“(I) am trying to get tested today,” he said, noting that he will join the meeting of the central bank’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB), which he is a member of as the Cabinet member designated by the President to be part of the Board, on Friday via teleconferencing.
Relatively, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the BSP’s main building in Manila will be closed until Sunday and work will resume on Monday.
He said he is okay but “decided to go on self-quarantine because I was in the NLEX inspection ceremony with Secretaries Dominguez and (Arthur) Tugade last Thursday and was in wake with Secretary Dominguez last Saturday.”
“(I) thought it’s best to go on self-quarantine to be on the safe side,” he said.
He was referring to the final inspection of the new 2.6-kilometer North Luzon Expressway Harbor Link C3-R10 section, an elevated expressway that passes through the city of Manila’s western and the cities of Caloocan and Navotas.
The said event was also attended by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, thus the order to disinfect areas in Malacanang’s main palace on Thursday to disinfect areas frequently used by the President.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, on Wednesday, also announced his decision to be on self-quarantine given his exposure to the Covid-19 positive person last week.
Despite the suspension of work at the BSP main office, Diokno said the meeting of the policy-making Monetary Board (MB) will be moved to Friday at the BSP’s Security Plant Complex (SPC) along East Avenue in Quezon City.
“Treasury operations and PHILPASS (Philippine Payment and Settlement System) will proceed but will be run remotely from BSP QC complex,” he added.
The self-quarantine and office building disinfections are being done as the country reported the rise of confirmed Covid-19 cases to 49 on Wednesday. (PNA)
