Workplaces among common virus sources: QC government

MANILA – Workplaces are among the most common sources of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections in Quezon City, according to their Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU).

CESU reported on Monday that of the 722 positive cases from Feb. 28 to March 13, 2021, 104 cases or 14 percent occurred in workplaces, and brought home, infecting members of the household.

The household became the most common exposure setting, where 256 cases or 35 percent occurred.

“Reports showed that household transmission stems from one member of the household acquiring the virus from his workplace,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said online. 

As such, business establishments were ordered to create a workplace Covid-19 Task Force that will implement prevention, detection, contact tracing, isolation, and management strategies of the company, office, or store.

Emergency measures and stricter protocols were included in the supplemental General Community Quarantine (GCQ) guidelines issued by the local government on Sunday to mitigate the spread of cases in the country’s largest city in terms of population size.

The guidelines that took effect on Monday shall be effective until March 31. It covers workplaces, public areas, and business establishments.

With the unified curfew in Metro Manila, public safety hours shall be from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m.

“During public safety hours, all persons should be at home, except for persons (i) still out for purposes of work, or on the way home from work, as shown by company ID, APOR (Authorized Person Outside Residence) ID, or other official ID; (ii) dealing with emergencies; or (iii) traveling for purposes of air/sea travel as shown by pre-booked tickets,” the guidelines reminiscent of the early Covid-19 detection in the country read.

 Employees’ welfare

The QC government said employees should be provided with an alternative mode of transportation to reduce their exposure to other people on their daily commute.

An alternative work schedule was also recommended to reduce the number of employees inside an establishment at any given time.

The city government likewise mandated business owners and managers to use the KyusiPass Contact Tracing for their employees and customers.

Other businesses such as sari-sari (retail) stores were ordered closed by 10 p.m. while the operation of gyms, spas, and internet cafés are suspended until the end of the month.

Implementation of the ordinance banning drinking of liquors in public places will also be intensified.

“All retail sales of alcoholic beverages are hereby suspended for the duration of these guidelines,” the guideline read.