A TOTAL of 267 workers of a Manila-based construction company were brought to the city isolation units (CIUs) of Cagayan de Oro on Friday, February 6, 2021, after 22 of its workers tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The 267 workers, according to Dr. Joselito Retuya, are those who are suspects or possible close contacts of the Covid-positive employees.
City Mayor Oscar Moreno said while the company has safety protocols for their bunkers or quarters intended for its workers, said protocols have failed as the number of Covid-positive workers has reached 50, although not happening at the same time.
As such, the city took over the managing of Covid-positive construction workers, who were all currently staying at the Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility (TTMF), as well as their close contacts who are in the CIUs.
"We are taking the aggressive preemptive measure here. Kay kabalaka kita nga naa unya'y outbreak nga dinhi magsugod kay dili malikayan nga kini sila naa may contact gyapon sa ilang mga pamilya," Moreno said, adding that the company was cooperative during the process of moving the workers to the city isolation units.
According to Retuya, the company has a scheduled work stoppage from February 2 until February 7.
"Ato man silang gihikling so definitely walay makasulod sa ilang trabaho unless or until such time na mogawas na ang resulta sa swab sa ilaha," Retuya said.
Moreno mentioned his concern that the company might cut on costs and stop their project due to the costs of testing and housing their workers. The city mayor further said that this will cause its workers to be unemployed and leave an impact on the city's investment climate as majority of the construction company's employees are from Cagayan de Oro.
"We want the investment climate to be strengthened and to be attractive so for these reasons, we decided that kanang positive, TTMF nato pero we will be more aggressive this time sa close contacts," Moreno said.
"We're approaching this aggressively kay lisod kaayo nga hulatan nato unsay mahitabo so I hope nga atong by taking this action, atong mga undang ang futher spread sa virus ug ma accelerate nato ang recovery," he added.
The city mayor also expressed his worries for the affected workers' family because of the "no work, no pay" system.
Moreno said he gave instructions to the City Social Welfare and Development Office to provide food packs to these families.