NPO suspends work after 32 employees test positive for Covid-19

National Printing Office (Photo grabbed from NPO Facebook page)

MANILA – The National Printing Office has suspended work for two weeks to give way for building disinfection after 32 of its employees contracted the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

In an advisory on Tuesday, the NPO has temporarily suspended work from Aug. 3 to 14 to give way for necessary disinfection activities and prevent the spread of the dreaded virus.

NPO said the 32 out of some 445 employees have tested positive in the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests conducted by the Philippine Red Cross from July 29 to 30.

The NPO added that the 32 cases were already referred to the appropriate agency and local government units (LGUs) concerned.

The NPO employees who were infected, as well as those who came in close contact with them, will undergo a 14-day quarantine period and should follow stringent health protocols.

While on quarantine, the office has adopted a work-from-home arrangement with its employees for safety precautions.

“Precautionary measures in line with the existing safety policies are continually being implemented within the office,” the advisory reads.

NPO is an attached agency of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), which is mandated to provide printing services to government agencies including official ballots and election paraphernalia which could be shared with Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas, upon the discretion of the Commission on Elections and consistent with the provision of the Election Code of 1987.

On the other hand, the PCOO proper has earlier announced to adopt a work-from-home arrangement after 27 of its employees tested positive for Covid-19.