A government bank and a restaurant are among the establishments in Baguio that have recently announced temporary closure after their employees tested positive for the Covid-19.
Last Nov. 3, management of Good Taste Restaurant announced it is closing its branch at Otek Street for two weeks after 36 of its employees have been found positive for the Covid-19. As of Nov. 5, there are 30 employees are on isolation and 209 others are on quarantine.
The main branch of the Landbank along Marcos Highway also announced it will be closing indefinitely after two employees tested positive of the virus.
This is the second time Landbank has closed one of its branches after one of its employees caught the infection. The first one was last August.
Management of both companies assured they will cooperate with the contact tracing team and will assist their employees.
The temporary closure of the two establishments will give way for disinfection of their establishments. In August, the Mabini branch of Victoria’s Supermarket and the Irisan branch of DM Foodmart also closed for disinfection.
As a proactive measure, the City Health Services Office tested some bank and grocery employees, while the tests of other workers were shouldered by the companies they work for.
Meanwhile, Mayor Benjamin Magalong has ordered the creation of a team that will inspect business establishments to ensure they comply with health and safety protocols against the Covid-19.
“We need a team that will ensure that restaurants, grocery stores, accommodation facilities, and others are consistently compliant with the prescribed minimum health standards and protocols. We need to proactively address incidents similar to the Good Taste (Restaurant) outbreak,” the mayor said.
Magalong said he expects more cases from Good Taste as results of others who were tested are yet to be released.
On Nov. 7, Magalong said restaurant workers in the city will be tested to avert possible spread of the Covid-19. Five hundred test kits will be provided by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority. – Rimaliza A. Opiña
