Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday said his office is adopting a skeleton workforce after four of his personnel have been tested positive for Covid-19.
Of this number, he said only one employee needed hospitalization.
He, however, made assurances that he did not come in close contact with any of the employees who got infected.
“Wala po akong kahit anong close contact sa kanila kasi skeleton workforce lang po kami dito sa Office of the Presidential Spokesperson. Sa ngayong araw po parang siyam na tao lang po ang naririto ngayon sa aking tanggapan (I have not made close contact with them because we’re working on a skeleton workforce here in the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson. Now, there are only nine of us there in my office),” he said in a Palace press briefing.
Roque himself has contracted Covid-19 twice this year.
Meanwhile, one employee each from the Bureau of Broadcast Services (BBS) and Radio TV Malacañang (RTVM) have also tested positive for Covid-19.
The BBS and RTVM, both under the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), have two active cases each.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) said some 10,344 government employees tested positive for Covid-19 as of Aug. 5.
CSC Commissioner Aileen Lizada said the delivery of important government services is sustained, especially those with alternative work arrangements.
Last week, Malacañang directed all government offices and instrumentalities in Metro Manila that are under the executive branch to deploy a skeleton workforce during the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from August 6 to 20.
Under Memorandum Circular (MC) 87, signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, the number of employees who can physically report for work should not be less than 20 percent to ensure continuity of government services during the two-week ECQ.
Other agencies in Metro Manila that are under the legislative and judicial branches of government, independent constitutional commissions, and bodies, as well as local government units, are enjoined to adopt MC 87.
Metro Manila is under ECQ until Aug. 20 to prevent the further spread of the more transmissible Covid-19 Delta variant.
Source: Philippines News Agency
