GOV’T SHOULD REMAIN FULLY OPERATIONAL DESPITE RISE IN INFECTIONS Despite soaring Covid-19 infections among government workers, the national government should remain fully operational to ensure the effective delivery of public service, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday. Duterte made the remark amid an uptick in Covid-19 cases among government personnel, including healthcare workers in public hospitals and members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).
his own office. As the country’s top official, Duterte said he needed to continue holding regular public address to “communicate to the people what government is doing.” He said part of being a civil servant was the risk of contracting Covid-19.
“Now, if ma-compromise tayo (if we are compromised) that’s part of the game. ‘Yan ang trabaho namin. Ngayon, kung magka Covid kami (If we get Covid), then so be “Alam mo, kung bawalan it. Kasali sa trabaho ‘yan e. tayo tapos lahat sa gobyerno Now, kung mamatay ako (It’s kasi opisina ‘yan. Opisina part of our job. Now if I die) por opisina por opisina. So then so be it,” he added. kung may asymptomatic diyan talagang mahahawa. On Saturday, Malacañang Ngayon if bawalan mo lahat has issued a memorandum magtrabaho (You know, circular (MC) enumerating if we are prohibited from requirements and procedures working it would affect other for reducing the on-site offices. workforce in government offices below the minimum If there is an asymptomatic that was set under the Alert worker then others will really Level System (ALS). be infected. Now, if you prohibit us from working) Under Alert Level 4, then the machinery of government agencies will government will stop remain fully operational with to grind,” he said in a at least 20 percent on-site prerecorded public address. capacity for workers; at least 30 percent on-site capacity He did not elaborate which for Alert Level 3; and at least government agencies 50 percent on-site capacity he was referring to, but it for Alert Level 2. seemed like he was also referring to his experience in On January 6, PSG
Caraga INFOCUS
commander Col. Randolph Cabangbang bared that a total of 15 personnel of the PSG tested positive for Covid-19. He, however, assured that the personnel “are not in any way” detailed to the President. Cabangbang also assured that the rest of the PSG personnel remain fit and able to protect the President. The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) on Saturday said it is now operating in a “crisis mode” as nearly 40 percent of its Covid-19 healthcare workers are either infected with Covid-19 or are now in quarantine after being exposed to the virus. PGH spokesperson, Dr. Jonas Del Rosario, said healthcare workers who were quarantined for testing positive for Covid-19 shall report back to work as long as they are asymptomatic. The PGH currently has around 2,000 healthcare workers and ancillary staff members involved in Covid-19 operations. Of this figure, 310 of them tested positive for Covid-19 during the past week. (PNA/ Azer Parrocha)
January 8-14, 2022 |
31
