6 POLO-Riyadh staffers COVID-positive, office operations to be suspended 

MANILA, Philippines — Six officers and staff members of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.

In a statement on Thursday, DOLE said the POLO in Riyadh will temporarily suspend its operations effective Sunday, June 14, 2020.

According to Labor Attaché Nasser Mustafa, all POLO officers and staff members will be on a work-from-home arrangement but will still respond to calls, offer consulting services to clients and provide counselling to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in distress on a 24/7 basis.

“The objective of the temporary suspension is to prevent the escalation of infection among POLO staff and its clients and to allow the conduct of a thorough disinfection of the office premises,” Mustafa said.

He reported that all 37 POLO personnel underwent COVID-19 testing after two POLO employees were earlier found to be infected and “eventually transmitting the virus to the others in the post.”

DOLE said an official advisory will be released at post for the guidance of the transacting public.

Latest figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) showed that a total of 5,430 overseas Filipinos have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Of the number, 2,702 Filipinos are still undergoing treatment while 2,346 have recovered or been discharged from the hospital.

There are 382 fatalities reported so far.

GSG