Senate on lockdown, Malacañang closed for COVID-19 disinfection

The Senate President asked for calm and understanding of the public as the precautionary measures against the threat of COVID-19 will be processed. (File Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

Senate President Vicente Sotto III ordered lockdown on the Senate of the Philippines building on Thursday for disinfection after a resource person who recently visited a Senate hearing tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Sotto said that the upper chamber’s building in Pasay City will be on lockdown for disinfection and contact-tracing of individuals who had a direct contact with the resource person infected by the virus who attended a hearing on March 5.

“Lockdown na muna (We will be on lockdown for a while),” Sotto told reporters in a text message.

Sotto said in an interview with GMA News on Wednesday night that all hearings during the lockdown will be canceled until further notice, including the blue ribbon committee’s hearing on the alleged money-laundering scheme in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) scheduled for Thursday

The lockdown was placed on effect after a few senators who were also present during the hearing last March 5 have undergone self-quarantine. Several cabinet members will also undergo self-quarantine after being in close contact with people who have the viral disease.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian chaired a Senate hearing on Basic Education, Arts, and Culture on March 5, where Senator Nancy Binay was also present. Both senators and their staff members are in self-quarantine.

The Senate President asked for calm and understanding of the public as the precautionary measures against the threat of COVID-19 will be processed.

“We were forced to go on lockdown because of this event. That why I apologize to those who want to seek assistance from the Senate, we would have to suspend it for the meantime until we disinfect the Senate,” Sotto said.

The lockdown may be in effect “until over the weekend,” according to Sotto.

“We will just announce when the Senate hearings would resume,” he added.

Malacañang partially closed

Meanwhile, the Malacañang Main Palace will be partially closed on Thursday for disinfection ad part of the precautionary procedures against the coronavirus disease, according to Presidential Security Group Commander Jesus Durante III.

“The disinfection will only last for a while, but it will be done by sectors,” said Durante in an interview with Inquirer.net. “So maybe it would last a whole day because they can’t do all of it at the same time.”

Durante also said that the precautionary disinfection will mainly focus on areas that are frequently used by President Rodrigo Duterte, and will be regularly implemented.

“Employees will still report to work tomorrow. Employees will just go out of their room while being disinfected and could go back to work after an hour,” he added.

As of writing, the Philippines has recorded a number of 49 patients positive of the COVID-19 disease, with 16 new cases added yesterday, according to the Department of Health (DOH).