Due to the threat of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has advised government employees to virtualize the holding of parties this holiday season instead of face to face.
According to CSC chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala, the threat of the Omicron variant, which is now the reason for the closure of the borders of some countries and the implementation of another lockdown, should not be ignored.
Although physical gatherings are allowed in some situations based on the rule of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and local government units, Dela Rosa-Bala said, it would be safer to make the celebration virtual.
“Virtual celebrations, on the other hand, are much safer and allow agencies to hold a simultaneous gathering for all their employees across the regions. It just requires a little more creativity to make it engaging and enjoyable even without face-to-face interaction,” the official said.
According to Dela Rosa-Bala, there will be an impact on service delivery to the public when there is an infection among government employees.
The official warned that public service should not be affected during this holiday season.
CSC advises gov’t employees to make holiday celebrations virtual
“Offices may opt to conduct these activities outside office hours or ensure adequate skeletal workforce to attend to their clients and other urgent matters during official business hours,” the CSC official said.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government had earlier announced that in-person Christmas parties were allowed in areas at COVID-19 Alert Level 2. But health protocols and a 50% capacity limit at the celebration venue must be followed.
The Department of Health (DOH) also advised making the Christmas celebrations virtual due to the pandemic even though the number of COVID-19 cases is declining.
Meanwhile, preliminary tests show that the effect of Omicron is not as severe compared to other COVID-19 variants, according to top scientists of the World Health Organization and the United States. However, more studies are needed about this.
Due to fears of Omicron, many countries are closing the border again to prevent the entry of the new virus variant that first appeared in South Africa.
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