By Mar T. Supnad
ORANI, Bataan –After one employee yielded positive to COVID-19 rapid test, employees of the Department of Public Works and Highways 1st engineering district, got the scare of their lives and were compelled to undergo a the same medical procedure.
Lucky for them, all – except for three who were on leave, tested negative for the virus, including the employee who yielded positive in the rapid test.
DPWH District Engineer Erlindo “Boying” Flores said had a sigh of relief as he himself was also shocked after one of his subordinates yielded positive to a rapid test. The employee however tested negative after undergoing a confirmatory test.
“We were nervous when one of us was tested positive. But when we have this employee tested again, the result was already negative,” Flores told the Metro Sun.
He said that 97 percent of their employees underwent the RT-PCR test. “Only three remain untested because they are on leave,” said Engr. Flores.
Since the imposition of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine on March 15, the district engineer has been imposing strict safety protocols inside the DPWH office, including the importance of regular hand-washing, use of alcohol and hand sanitizers, mandatory use of facemasks and face shields, and physical distancing, among other health and safety measures.