Twenty-eight of the more than 200 court employees at the Bacolod City Hall of Justice (HOJ)and some contractual and police personnel reacted positive to rapid antigen tests Wednesday morning , January 19, Executive Judge Raymond Joseph Javier said.
The “Oplan: HOJ Mass Testing for a COVID-free Workplace” was held in partnership with the Bacolod Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC TF), said Javier of the Bacolod Regional Trial Court.
Dr. Chris Sorongon, EOC Deputy for Medical Data, Analysis and Management, supervised the nasal rapid antigen testing and the 28 who reacted positive were directed to undergo quarantine protocols, Javier said.
Contact tracing was also immediately conducted, he said.
The mass testing was conducted pursuant to Office of the Court Administrator Circular No. 05-2022A of Senior Deputy Court Administrator Raul Villanueva directing court personnel of physically closed courts such as the Bacolod HOJ to coordinate with local government units for an exhaustive testing of its entire court staff, Javier said.
Javier thanked the Bacolod City officials led by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia for being supportive of the Supreme Court’s thrust to provide a COVID-19 safe workplace,
Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo had earlier ordered that the Bacolod HOJ be physically closed from January 13 to 31 amid the rising COVID -19 cases that led to the city’s being placed under Alert Level 3.
They will report back to the HOJ on February 2, Javier said.*