Camanava justice hall, hospital on lockdown

MANILA, Philippines — Caloocan City’s justice building and a hospital in Malabon were placed on lockdown yesterday due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The building was closed down after a staff member of the Office of the City Prosecutor tested positive in a rapid antibody test.

Caloocan chief prosecutor Ferdinand Valbuena yesterday said at least 14 job order employees who comprise the skeleton force underwent rapid antibody testing on Monday.

His staff member was the only one who tested positive, he said.

This prompted Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Victoriano Cabanos to issue a notice yesterday to make the entire building “physically closed.”

While the building was on lockdown, 12 prosecutors and their staff underwent rapid antibody tests yesterday and were negative.

Valbuena said they are awaiting another circular today extending the lockdown for another seven days, the waiting period to receive the patient’s swab results.

“The solution really is to lock down the building. We are waiting for the circular from the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice to extend this. Meaning there will be no inquest, no trial, for the meantime,” he said.

The court has always ensured proper sanitary measures like the provision of plastic sheets separating visitors and staff and alcohol to court and fiscal personnel, the prosecutor said.

The disinfection yesterday was the third time for the building to be sanitized during the quarantine, he added.

Pregnant patient tests positive

Meanwhile, the obstetrics-gynecology, pediatrics, delivery and surgery deparments of the Ospital ng Malabon have been temporarily closed after a pregnant patient gave birth there without disclosing her exposure to the coronavirus.

Mayor Antolin Oreta III yesterday said the city legal office would file a case against the patient, who tested positive in a rapid antibody test, for violating Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

The patient failed to disclose that she is a resident of Barangay 12 in Caloocan, which was placed on lockdown due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

They are awaiting the swab results of the patient, Oreta said.

The city would also conduct disinfection of the building, as well as contact tracing and testing of those who may have encountered the patient in the hospital.

The hospital, however, would continue to admit COVID and non-COVID-related adult cases. The laboratory and radiology sections would also remain open, the mayor said.

The hospital would resume full operations on May 25.

“This is not a joke. There are a lot of lives at stake due to one person’s mistake. Please, be honest about your symptoms and exposure history,” Oreta said.

Some services of the Malabon hospital were first suspended last April 30 after four health workers were tested positive for the virus.