FOLLOWING a new Covid-19 outbreak at a call center in the city, the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is once again reminding the public not to let their guards down, as the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over.
“The outbreak in a BPO company is a stark reminder that this nightmare with Covid-19 is not yet over. We would like to remind everyone to continue to strictly observe proper health protocols to keep the workplace coronavirus-free,” EOC executive director and City Administrator Em Ang said.
The City Legal Office had issued a notice of suspension to the call center concerned on Feb. 1, suspending its operations for two days (February 2 and 3) for sanitation and disinfection of its work premises, after 41 of its employees tested positive for the virus.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia said, “We have issued the company with a very strong warning. If they cannot comply with the minimum health protocols, we will impose a much harsher remedy.”
“I’ve instructed the EOC to also issue reminders and warnings to all call centers to strictly follow all health protocols because they have similar physical set-ups and working environments. What happened in this company can happen to any call center if they are not careful," Leonardia added.
City Legal Officer lawyer Joselito Bayatan said the company may resume operations Thursday, February 4 but subject to evaluation by the medical doctors of the City Health Office (CHO).
“We must strictly follow health protocols,” Bayatan stressed.
The first positive case from this call center was recorded by the EOC on January 23. On the same day, the EOC monitoring team visited and inspected the company to check their compliance with the Covid-19 minimum health protocols.
The team went back on January 26 for aggressive contact-tracing and surveillance testing that led to the discovery of 40 more positive coronavirus cases out of the 594 individuals there who underwent testing. The latest results were released on January 31.
On the same day when the results came out, Leonardia called an emergency meeting with the EOC to address the spike in cases.
Bayatan said the positive patients and their close contacts have already been isolated.
“All we ask now is for the other establishments to not put their guards down although we are in MGCQ,” he added.
Meanwhile, complaints regarding the BaCtrac – the city’s online contact tracing system – were tackled in the emergency meeting.
“All of the BPOs in Bacolod are registered with the BaCTrac but some are not using the BaCTrac system for their employees,” said Dr. Chris Sorongon, EOC deputy medical for data assessment and analysis.
Using the BaCTrac quick response (QR) code is mandatory for business establishments in Bacolod.
“I am shocked. They are a business involved in technology; such a thing – a QR code – must have been understood by them,” said Councilor Renecito Novero.
Leonardia said: “It’s both ironic and tragic. Using the QR code should have been second nature to them.”
Under Section 13 of the BaCTrac ordinance, any government office or private establishment that fails to scan all BaCTrac cards of clients and visitors and/or maintain a manual logbook for those who have not yet registered with the BaCTrac shall be penalized with a P1,000 fine for the 1st offense, a P2,000 fine for the 2nd offense, and a P5,000 fine or imprisonment of more than six months, or both, at the discretion of the court, for the 3rd offense.
The manual logbook is only for clients or persons who are not yet registered in the BaCTrac, clarified Ang.
She said the EOC will be giving due notice to establishments that do not have any log history, as per a report of the data center.
Attending the virtual meeting were Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, Councilors Cindy Rojas, Renecito Novero, Israel Salanga, Lady Gles Pallen, and Ayesha Joy Villaflor.
Also present were Colonel Manuel Placido, OIC-city director of the Bacolod City Police Office; Dr. Edwin Miraflor, OIC-city health officer, BCPO deputy director for Operations Lt. Col. Lester Leada, EOC deputy for medical Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, Contact Tracing cluster heads Dr. Rosalie Deocampo and Major Sherlock Gabana, Dr. Grace Tan of the CHO- City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, and Executive Assistant Teresa Manalili. (PR)