Deloitte Philippines taking 'all necessary actions' over confirmed COVID-19 case
MANILA, Philippines (Update 2 9:17 a.m.) — An employee of a consulting firm Deloitte Philippines is receiving treatment for the novel coronavirus, the firm announced early Saturday morning.
The firm, which offers auditing and other services, shares a building with other business process outsourcing companies in Taguig's Bonifacio Global City, itself a central location for many BPO firms. A unit of Deloitte is a member of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, the umbrella organization of BPO companies.
Deloitte Philippines also has a presence in Cebu and, according to its website, employs around 750 people.
"We can confirm that a colleague in our Deloitte Philippines office has tested positive for COVID-19. The colleague is currently in hospital receiving treatment and further tests, and Deloitte is supporting the colleague and family in every way we can," Deloitte Philippines said.
The firm said it has taken the necessary precautions to manage the situation and that "all necessary actions were promptly taken to inform those who might have come into contact with the colleague for the appropriate checks and provide any possible form of support."
The global firm, which is headquartered in the UK, also reported on March 4 "that a colleague based in our 1 New Street Square office in London tested positive for COVID-19 after a personal trip to Asia."
That employee "immediately self-isolated on becoming unwell and is now receiving good care in hospital" Deloitte said.
It also sent employees working on the same floor that the COVID-19 patient did to "go home with immediate effect to allow deep cleaning of the floor and the community areas throughout the building."
RELATED: 3 foreigners recently in Philippines also test positive
The Department of Health on Friday confirmed two new cases of COVID-19, including a 48-year-old male who had returned to the Philippines on February 25 from Japan. The patient had chills and fever on March 3 and tested positive for the disease on March 5, Thursday.
The fifth case, meanwhile, is a 63-year-old Filipino male with known hypertension and diabetes mellitus. After experiencing cough with phlegm on February 25, the patient sought medical consultation in a Metro Manila hospital last March 1 and was admitted with severe pneumonia.
Unlike the fourth case, the fifth case has no known travel history outside the country.
It is unclear if the Deloitte employee is among the two cases that the DOH announced on Friday.
In a January 31 statement, the IT-BPO Association of the Philippines said it relies on member-companies to "ensure that necessary steps are being taken to keep our workforce safe."
"These IT-BPM firms offer health and wellness benefits such as health insurance programs, annual medical exams, as well as onsite doctors, nurses, and first-aiders, which are very crucial especially at this time," IBPAP also said.
Deloitte Philippines said in its Saturday announcement that "Deloitte Philippines continues to comply with the instructions and directions from the Department of Health."
- Latest
- Trending
