The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue District Office (RDO) 77 here has been closed for disinfection on Thursday after a client who was at their premises on Wednesday turned out positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Norma Bayoneta, chief of Administrative and Human Resource Division, said their operations will be suspended today (July 17).
“It is not a lockdown, but a temporary closure. We will resume office on Monday (July 20),” she said.
The RDO 77 holds office at the BIR Building on Jocson- P. Henares Street Extension in Barangay Taculing.
Bayoneta said some of their personnel will be quarantined, but none of them tested positive for Covid-19.
“The claims circulating on social media is not true,” she added.
Six of their personnel, including three security guards and three staff of the Client Service Section and Assessment Section, will undergo a 14-day quarantine after having contact with the client infected by the virus.
Three personnel of BIR RDO 76 in Victorias City, Negros Occidental will also undergo quarantine.
The patient, who is from neighboring E.B. Magalona town, visited their office before going to Bacolod to request for the processing of tax information number (TIN) transfer.
Bayoneta said one of their employees positively identified the patient, a 45-year-old man, who is Western Visayas’ Patient No. 685, based on the Department Health-6 bulletin issued on Wednesday.
She added that they have reported the incident to the City Inter-Agency Task Force against Covid-19.
“We hope that necessary actions will be taken such as possible contact tracing of other taxpayers who might have close contact with the patient,” Bayoneta said. (Nanette Guadalquiver ndb via pna, photo courtesy of pna)
