THE main office of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will be locked for two more weeks for disinfection after more employees tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a notice on its website on Saturday, the corporate regulator said its main office in Pasay City and temporary payment center in Mandaluyong City will be closed until July 26.

Transactions with the SEC will be limited to e-mail and landline communication for the meantime. It will announce soon the adjusted procedures and schedules for submission of annual reports, which were originally scheduled in the coming two weeks.

Last week, the SEC closed its office on Monday for disinfection, and again on Thursday and Friday after personnel tested positive for COVID-19 via a confirmatory test. It said a total of six employees were confirmed positive for the virus as of the weekend.

Over the past weeks, the SEC has been receiving documents at its main office via courier and has been attending to visitors for select services, noting it was implementing all necessary health protocols as required by health officials.

COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has reached 54,222 as of Saturday due to the continuing outbreak across the country, particularly in Metro Manila and Central Visayas.

Despite the closure of its offices, the SEC said it will continue adopting alternative work arrangements to minimize operational disruption.

The SEC was originally set to receive annual reports starting July 13 to 24 from corporations whose registration numbers end with 3, 4, 5 and 6. This was the schedule it set for the submission of annual financial statements and general information sheets via courier.

In previous guidelines, the SEC said it will accommodate submission of soft copies of the reports through e-mail. — Denise A. Valdez

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR