Baguio orders swab of couriers; cases up

By Liza Agoot

BAGUIO CITY – The city government has ordered courier and logistics services, remittance centers, loading stations, and money handling services to subject their employees to swab testing after several clustering of cases were seen in the sector.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s order came considering the sector’s high susceptibility to acquiring Covid-19.

Magalong on Tuesday directed the Permits and Licensing Division and the City Health Office to inform owners and managers of these business entities to subject their employees to swab testing.

A clustering of Covid-19 cases occurred in one courier company last week that prompted the order.

"We have to sustain the expanded testing of the various sectors because this is one way to know who are infected so we can isolate and administer control measures and stem the spread of the virus," Magalong said.

Magalong said the cost of the tests must not be borne by the employees pursuant to an earlier directive from the Departments of Trade and Industry Labor and Employment.

The mayor earlier required banks and grocery and supermarkets to subsidize the polymerase chain reaction tests of their employees after several workers from said industries turned out positive for the virus during random testing done by the city government.

The companies complied resulting in the discovery of more cases in their sectors.

The mayor said identification of some businesses as vulnerable should also serve as a warning to the public to be more conscious of the health and safety protocols when transacting with them. -- PNA