Carla P. Gomez

A COVID-19 positive Bacolod City government employee passed away at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital Tuesday morning, April 20.The 62-year-old cashier from the City Treasurer’s Office was the seventh Bacolod government employee to succumb to COVID-19 since last year, City Administrator Em Ang, who is also executive director of the Bacolod Emergency Operations Center, said.He is the 56th city government employee to be hit by virus this month, Ang said.The cashier is also the 15th Bacolod COVID-19 fatality in April, Ang said, pointing out that the number of deaths this month are three times more than those for the entire March.Ang stressed the need for everyone to take the necessary precautions against COVID-10 that appears to be more deadly now and s...

Bacolod DRRM photoTravelers who arrived in Bacolod City Tuesday, April 20, with expired COVID-19 negative results were swabbed for RT-PCR tests, City Administrator Em Ang said.She said 20 passengers arrived from Manila and several others from Cebu.Bacolod City requires arriving passengers to submit negative RT-PCR test results taken within 72 hours before their departure.However, many had expired test results after their trips were cancelled when a moratorium on travel to Western Visayas was declared, Ang said.The travel moratorium ended on Monday, April 19.To spare these passenger from spending again for expensive RT-PCR tests before departure for Bacolod, the city has offered to have them swabbed for free on arrival, she said.The passengers then have the optio...

Bacolod DRRMO photoVehicles of Negros Occidental local government units began picking up arriving passengers headed for their areas at seaports and airports Tuesday, April 20, with the end of the moratorium on travel to Western Visayas, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.This is being done so persons entering their localities can be monitored for COVID-19, to prevent a further surge of the virus, Diaz said.Victorias City announced that all travelers from outside Region 6, except for government Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs) on official business, will be tested on arrival for COVID-19.There were reported cases of four APORs, six Overseas Filipino Workers, and one Locally Stranded Individual who submitted negative RT-PCR results taken from their poi...

The government rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has been slow, less than half of the health care workers (HCWs) on the A1 priority list of Negros Occidental have been vaccinated.The Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines sent to Negros Occidental only cover 12,660 HCWs, of the 28,000 on their A1 priority list, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, said Tuesday, April 20.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the HCWs who have been fully vaccinated or who have received their second doses were 3,929 as of Monday.“The vaccine roll out has been slow,” he said.“We are administering the vaccines given to us based on the priority list, we cannot jump the line. We have to be disciplined enough to wait for our turn,” he said.Another shipment of vaccines is expected this m...

Slain provincial government consultant Antonio “Marton” Cui was laid to rest at the San Carlos City Memorial Park Tuesday afternoon, April 20.*Screen grab from live coverage of funeralCrowds lined the streets of San Carlos City to bid farewell to Mariano Antonio “Marton” Cui as his remains were brought to his final resting place at the San Carlos City Memorial Park Tuesday afternoon, April 20.Cui, who was Negros Occidental provincial consultant on hospital operations, was shot and killed as he was leaving his office at Emerald Arcade in San Carlos City on April 20.The police are investigating the questionable presence of three vehicles on the night of his killing that were captured by CCTV cameras, but still have no leads on the assailants and the motive, Lt. Abegael Donasco,...

There were 145 Negros Occidental residents who recovered from COVID-19 Tuesday, April 20, but the province still has 2,233 active cases.Provincial Administrator Rayfrado Diaz said the 145 who recovered are from Bago City – 31, Binalbagan - 24, San Carlos City – 23, Silay City – 21, Himamaylan City - 16, Escalante City and Cauayan – 8 each, Talisay City - 5, La Carlota City – 4, Sagay City - 2, and Manapla, Kabankalan City and EB Magalona -1 each.Negros Occidental has had 10,056 COVID-19 cases since March last year with 7,578 recoveries and 245 deaths.The province had 176 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the Department of Health reported.Bacolod City had 37 new COVID-19 cases bringing its total active cases to 691, the DOH report also showed.*

The Bago City Hospital will reopen its out-patient and emergency services on April 24, Dr. Rey Pacillan, BCH acting chief, said Tuesday April 20.The rest of the hospital services are expected to resume in May, he said.He said 41 of their staff tested positive for COVID-19 and they cannot fully resume operations as some are still in quarantine.Their nurses cannot return to work in full force yet, he explained.*

The Department of Health has classified Negros Occidental as a high-risk area for COVID-19 and Bacolod City as a moderate risk area, a DOH official announced Monday, April 19.Negros Occidental’s COVID-19 average daily attack rate per 100,000 population has increased from 1.45 percent to 5.26 percent, Dr. Mary Jane Juanico, DOH 6 infectious disease cluster head, said in a virtual press conference.The two-week COVID-19 growth rate of Negros Occidental was 261 percent, she added.Bacolod City has been classified as a moderate risk area with its daily attack rate having increased from 3.79 percent to 5.98 percent, while its two-week growth rate is 58 percent, Juanico said.Twenty-eight persons hit by COVID-19 in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City have died this month.There ha...

The Bacolod Hall of Justice was disinfected last week after five employees tested positive for COVID-19.*Bacolod DRRM photoAll courts at the Hall of Justice in Bacolod City resumed operations Monday, April 19, at reduced capacity, Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Raymond Joseph Javier said.The Hall of Justice was closed for disinfection last week after five of its staff tested positive for COVID-19.Deputy Court Administrator Jenny Lind Aldecoa-Delorino of the Supreme Court, in a memorandum issued Sunday, April 18, directed the reduction of the workforce in all first and second level courts in Western and Central Visayas in the light of the unabated spread of COVID-19 in both areas.All first and second level courts in Region 6 and 7, including the offices of the clerk of...

The Sipalay City Government Center will be temporarily closed starting Monday, April 19, until Wednesday, Mayor Gina Lizares said.The city administrator of Sipalay tested positive for COVID-19 and contact tracing and swabbing for RT-PCR tests is underway, Lizares said.The administrator was traced to have had come in contact with a COVID-positive person who has gone to an unauthorized cockfight, Lizares said.The City Mayor’s Office, City Administrator’s Office and Tourism Office will be closed until further notice.Meanwhile, Himamaylan City has extended the lockdown of its City Hall, City Health Office and Barangay Health Centers until April 19.Mayor Rogelio Raymund Tongson said Himamaylan City has recorded widespread COVID-19 community transmission, it is imperative and...