Work at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will be suspended on Thursday and Friday (July 9 and 10) to give way to the complete sanitation and disinfection of all its offices and adjacent premises.

All personnel will be allowed to go home at 2pm on Wednesday as their workplaces will undergo sanitation and disinfection procedures until Sunday (July 12) amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“Upon the recommendation of the MMDA COVID-19 Committee, we have decided to suspend the operations at all our offices for sanitation and disinfection to protect not only our personnel but also the transacting public against the virus,” said MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim.

No employee shall be allowed to enter any office during the sanitation and disinfection period.

“We assure the public that our offices will resume operations as soon as we have completed the sanitation and disinfection of our all offices by Monday,” said Lim.

Four personnel have tested positive for the coronavirus after the mass rapid testing and confirmatory swab test. Immediately, their offices were placed on lockdown and sanitized. Contact tracing was made and people who had close encounter with them were ordered to strictly comply with the 14-day quarantine period and were subjected to swab tests.

Others employees who tested positive in the rapid test were made to undergo swab test and quarantine according to protocol.

The MMDA has its own isolation facility to accommodate employees exposed to persons with COVID-19, tested positive on rapid test, and for those awaiting swab test results.

The 800-sqm isolation facility, located at the MMDA’s parking area, has two sections – one for suspect and probable cases.

Each section of the isolation facility has a 24-bed capacity equipped with shower rooms, comfort rooms and lavatories. The rooms are fully-air conditioned, with WI-FI connection and are regularly cleaned and sanitized. Free meals are also provided.

The MMDA’s Medical Clinic is also closely monitoring and providing guidance and assistance to employees.

Meanwhile, the MMDA has put in place protocols on visitors entering the building to prevent spread of COVID-19.

“This pandemic is a difficult time for all of us and we must do everything we can to protect our personnel and visitors,” said Lim.

According to the guidelines, all visitors with official business with the agency shall initially stay in the reception area for verification if the visitor will be allowed to go to the concerned office.

Strictly no personal visits are allowed for the meantime given the high risk of COVID-19 transmission at this period.

Moreover, delivery personnel shall not be allowed to go straight to the office or area of the ordering or recipient entity. All deliveries shall be transacted only at the reception lobby.

Likewise, visitors need to fill-up health declaration form with contact details for contact tracing purpose.