SAN JOSE CITY – The City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) here was placed on a two-week lockdown with all its financial transactions affected starting January 29 after two of its employees testing positive for the coronavirus-2019 disease, it was learned here on Thursday.
The local inter-agency task force tagged the two confirmed positive cases as Patient No. 79, a 30-year-old male residing in Bgy. Sto. Niño 2nd and Patient 80, a woman, aged 49, of Bgy. Abar 1st.
Also affected were 13 other employees of the CTO and its division office, the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO).
The 13 individuals were subjected to a 14-day quarantine period as per standard health safety protocols by the local inter-agency task force on COVID-19.
City Mayor Mario “Kokoy” Salvador, on his Facebook page, said the two infected COVID-19 patients are now confined at the Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility at the San Jose City National High School while official results of the swab tests done on the 13 other employees are still being awaited.
Due to the lockdown, Salvador asked his constituents for patience and understanding due to the inconvenience caused by the lockdown on those who have financial transactions with the city government.
The mayor assured that the city treasurer’s office will resume operations on February 15.
“Kung mapapansin ninyo, sarado ang ating City Treasurer’s Office sapagkat sila ay naka-lockdown. Naka-home quarantine po ang lahat ng staff doon. Pasensiya na po sa mga hindi makakuha ng cedula o hindi makapagbayad sa iba pang transaksyon,” said the mayor.
With the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) placed on lockdown for two weeks until Feb. 14, all financial transactions requiring payments to employees, job orders, suppliers, etc. and others remitted by the public were temporarily suspended within the lockdown period, said City Information Officer Joseph “Jacky” Francisco.
“Unfortunately, the CTO-business is something that cannot be done from home, cashiering po kasi siya,” said Francisco.
He added that contact tracing had already been conducted but the origin of the virus infection has yet to be established as of press time.
“Kaya na-swab iyung 13 others is due to contact-tracing, including their close contacts,” Francisco added.
As of Feb. 4, the local IATF reported a total of 81 positive cases with one new confirmed case, four active cases, 70 recovered and one death. Patient No. 81 was described as a 49-year-old XLT driver and a resident of Bgy. F.E. Marcos, it said.
