BACOLOD CITY - All provincial government employees of Negros Occidental were advised to go on strict home quarantine, while the Provincial Capitol here was placed on a five-day lock down from August 12 to 16.
(Glazyl Masculino / MANILA BULLETIN)
Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, in a statement, said the current surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection at the building, and also in hospitals, especially at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City, where the Molecular Laboratory is situated, has compelled authorities to recommend a lockdown of the Provincial Capitol.
Tumimbang said many departments at the Capitol have been affected by the current pandemic.
“By locking down the Capitol for five days, we might be able to stop the transmission within the building,” he added.
Based on the data provided by the Capitol’s Public Information Office (PIO), a COVID-19 case was each reported in the offices of the PIO, Public Health Office (PHO), Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) , Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), Provincial Veterinary Office, and Bids and Awards Committee.
A watchman assigned at the SP lobby at the Capitol, an administrative staff and three doctors at TLJPH were also infected by the virus.
Despite the lockdown, Tumimbang assured that frontliners, the PHO, PDRRM team and the command center will still be functional to monitor the provincial COVID-19 concerns.
“Our hospitals are still going to function at the utmost that we can manage,” he said.
The province has a total of 675 COVID-19 cases, as of August 10, with three deaths. A one-month-old boy was included in the recent cases in the province in the past two days.