THE Supreme Court yesterday directed trial courts in areas under COVID-19 Alert Levels 1 and 2 to maintain a skeleton workforce of at least 50 to 70 percent from July 5 to 8.
The SC, through the Office of the Court Administrator, said the directive was necessary “due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases as well as to address any possible surge or rise therein.”
“The skeleton workforce that a branch or judicial office will maintain for the above period will be subject to the discretion or determination of the concerned Executive Judge, Presiding Judge and or Acting or Assisting Judge,” said the circular signed by Court Administrator Raul Villanueva.
The circular also said that judges are allowed for the same period to conduct fully remote videoconferencing hearings, regardless of their location, with notice to the OCA.
“Unless otherwise subsequently directed, the required workforce and in-person or face-to-face hearings as provided for in OCA Circular No. 159-2022 will again be observed and complied with on 11 July 2022 until further orders of the court,” it added.
The country is seeing a renewed uptick in COVID cases, with health authorities saying this was due to the presence of the more transmissible Omicron subvariants, increased mobility of the people due to the easing of restrictions, as well as waning immunity of COVID-19 vaccine.
The Department of Health said the number of new COVID-19 cases reported daily in the past seven days (June 27 to July 3) had reached 1,057, which was “60 percent higher than cases reported from June 20 to 26.”
In total, the DOH said the last seven days recorded 7,398 COVID-19 cases, with 19 additional severe and critical cases, and 74 deaths.
