ANGELES City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. ordered the immediate closure of an abandoned building that was allegedly turned into an underground quarantine facility in Barangay Sto. Cristo.

The order came after the City Government received reports that the Atriaprime Development Corporation allegedly transported a Covid-19 patient from Laguna and quarantined him in the said building from July 25 to 29, 2020 without any coordination with the local government and the City Health Office.

"Ngayong humaharap tayo sa pandemya, mas lalo po tayong magtulungan upang mapuksa ang virus na ito. Tama na po sa mga illegal na gawa na hindi naman nakakatulong sa kaligtasan ng bawat isa," he added.

Lazatin also said the City Government will take legal actions against the contractor.

"Tulungan po natin ang gobyerno. Kaya po mayroong mga guidelines at protocol para po sundin natin," Lazatin appealed.

The safety officer of Atria Prime Development Corporation confirmed that the company planned to convert the old OB Montessori Building into a quarantine facility.

The patient, according to Lazatin's Chief Adviser and Tactician director IC Calaguas, was already transferred to Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center for further treatment.

Meanwhile, the safety officer is now quarantined at the City College of Angeles while waiting for the result of his rapid test, Lazatin added.

Lazatin on July 31, 2020 instructed Angeles City Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office Officer-in-Charge Rudy Simeon, Business Permit and Licensing Division Chief Evangeline Malonzo, and City Engineer Donato Dizon to close the said building.

Simeon said that contact tracing and disinfection protocol were immediately conducted as per the order of Lazatin. (PR)