Twelve employees of the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office 6 in Iloilo City tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19.

In a public advisory, the DOT-6 regional office said that the infected employees were already isolated and most of them were asymptomatic to having mild symptoms.

The DOT-6 office was also temporarily closed starting Monday, July 19, until further notice.

“Our transacting public can still reach us through the email address posted on DOT Western Visayas Facebook page,” the regional office’s advisory further read.

Meanwhile, according to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, only few of the positive employees are residents of Iloilo City and most of them are from various towns in Iloilo province.

Treñas said the city has already coordinated with the province and the contact tracing is ongoing.

For infected employees who are city residents, Treñas said there are 28 close contacts who were swabbed yesterday.

Meanwhile, the DOT-6 thanked Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. and Treñas for their immediate assistance to the DOT-6. (Glenda Tayona)/WDJ