The Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) office will be closed from July 28 until August 11 to give way to decontamination efforts after two of its personnel tested positive for COVID-19, the agency said on Monday.

Only select personnel will be allowed to cover events of President Rodrigo Duterte during the temporary closure, RTVM said in a statement.

RTVM said the rest of its personnel will work from home.

RTVM also reminded the public that its Manila office, housed in the Presidential Broadcast Staff-RTVM building within the Malacañang complex, will not receive or release any documents or entertain any transactions during the temporary closure.

Office operations will resume on Aug. 12 once disinfection efforts are completed.

RTVM executive director Demic Pabalan last week said the two personnel who tested positive for COVID-19 were asymptomatic and that all other personnel who had contact with them were tested on Friday.

“Other employees identified to be primary contacts of our confirmed cases are scheduled to undergo necessary swab testing and will be on mandatory self-quarantine,” RTVM said.

The two infected RTVM personnel are among the 25 active COVID-19 cases among staff of the Presidential Communications Operations Office and its attached agencies./Stacy Ang