DOJ placed on lockdown due to COVID-19 until June 28

June 18, 2020

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday placed the Department of Justice  in Padre Faura on lockdown until June 28 after five tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-2019).

Three are assigned at the main office in Padre Faura while one is in the field office. The other is an outsourced security guard.

"I have ordered a lockdown on the DOJ main building, the new NPS building, and the annex building near the court of appeals due to possible exposure to covid-positive employees reporting therein," Guevarra said in a text message to reporters.

The buildings will be disinfected and contact tracing will be conducted.

Guevarra said on-site work will resume on June 29.

He said from Thursday, work will continue to be done from home. 

"Affidavits, motions, and other papers in connection with scheduled preliminary investigations conducted by state prosecutors will continue to be received at the frontline. Otherwise, the preliminary investigation may just have to be reset," he said.

In the series of rapid tests at the DOJ last week, seventy-two personnel have tested positive. The personnel  underwent confirmatory tests at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and the Chinese General Hospital. DMS