BY ZALDY COMANDA
BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong has ordered the mandatory testing of all employees of grocery and department stores in the city after more than a dozen of workers were found positive of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Magalong issued the directive after the reported clustering of cases in one of the grocery stores in the city, where out of 64 employees, 14 were tested positive for coronavirus last August 8.
Magalong said the sudden rise of cases should serve as a warning sign that everybody in the city, especially grocery and department stores personnel, should obey the strict health protocols.
But since the city does not have enough resources to test all these workers, it will tap the companies to shoulder the expenses.
“Just like what we did with the banks, we require them to tests their employees and we will send a letter to all supermarkets and grocery stores requiring management to subject all employees to swab tests at their expense,” Magalong said.
Magalong earlier required banks to subject their personnel to Reverse Transcriptase- Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) after the risk-based expanded testing done by the city found a number of them got infected.
He said the banks have been complying resulting to the discovery of more infections in their ranks which now has to over 30 cases.
Besides the testing requirement, the city had also engaged the banks and security agencies in enhancing health and safety protocols and standards for their workers and customers.
The same will be done to department and grocery stores in the city which will have to review and fine-tune their rules to protect their workers and clients. (Zaldy Comanda)
