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Forty-two more Western Visayas residents, two of whom are from Negros Occidental and one from Bacolod, have been hit by three types of COVID-19 variants, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Tuesday, August 3.The DOH said a Philippine Genome Center report released July 28 showed that 15 Western Visayas samples tested positive for the Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant and 23 for the Beta (B.1. 315) variant.Negros Occidental has a new Alpha variant case and a Beta variant case, it said.These are in addition to the patient from La Carlota City found to be infected with the Alpha variant and a Cadiz resident who was hit by the Beta variant earlier, DOH regional epidemiologist Glen Alonsabe said.Four samples from persons with addresses in Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Guimaras and Iloilo ...

Richard Malihan photoNegros Occidental coronavirus cases have dropped and provincial government-run hospitals, including those designated for COVID -19 patients, are not overwhelmed, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, August 4.Negros Occidental will continue to vaccinate residents against COVID-19 and enforce strict health protocols to prevent new variants from causing a surge in local cases, he said.The Department of Health on Tuesday reported that two new COVID-19 Alpha and Beta variant cases had been detected in Negros Occidental.But Negros Occidental COVID-19 active cases dropped to 1,109 on Wednesday, a Provincial Incident Management Team report showed.COVID-19 surges in some areas in Panay and Cebu have overwhelmed hospitals, with some no long...

DSB PNP photoA 55-year-old man was shot to death by three unidentified assailants at Brgy. Pinowayan, Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, late Monday afternoon, August 2.The fatality was identified as Gaudioso Alforque, 55.Based on the initial police investigation, the victim was discovered by his family after they heard gunshots.The victim succumbed to several gunshot wounds to his body.Recovered from the crime scene was a slug and two empty shells of a .45 caliber pistol.Police Cpl Aler Cañete, town police investigator, said they are eyeing revenge as the motive behind the incident, as the killers of the victim’s son in 2012 were put behind bars.He added that the victim had no police and barangay criminal records.*

Fastcraft vessels plying the Bacolod-Iloilo City route stopped operations Tuesday, August 3.The halt came a day ahead of an order of Mayor Jerry Treñas temporarily suspending all inbound air and sea travel to Iloilo City, which is under Enhanced Community Quarantine, from August 4 to 8.Treñas told DIGICAST NEGROS he is imposing a “hard lockdown” to curb the surge in COVID-19 cases in Iloilo City.Capt. Ludovico Librilla Jr., Coast Guard Station - Negros Occidental commander, said travel between Iloilo and Bacolod cities will be halted until August 8.However, they have not received any instructions for the halt of roll-on-roll-off vessels plying the Bacolod City-Guimaras in Iloilo province route, he said.Frank Carbon, Weesam Express consultant, said they halted operations...

Negros Occidental Board Member Rommel Debulgado (1st District) and a provincial government employee have tested positive for COVID-19, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, August 4.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, who came in contact with them at a San Carlos City event on July 28, was swabbed on Tuesday and tested negative for the virus, he added.A cameraman of the Promotion and Information Section who tested positive had accompanied Lacson to San Carlos City. Two policemen, who were in the same vehicle as the cameraman, are in isolation and under observation, Diaz said.The Promotion and Information Section office has been closed and its staff have gone on home isolation for five days, after which they will be swabbed for RT-PCR tests, he said.Dubulgado experie...

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of P150 million for the improvement and rehabilitation of Bacolod’s three major public markets, Mayor Evelio Leonardia announced Tuesday, August 3.DBM Secretary Wendel Avisado informed him that he has approved his request for the P150 million assistance, which is by far the biggest single Local Government Support Fund Bacolod has ever received, Leonardia said.The Libertad, Central and Burgos markets will get P50 million each, the mayor said.Meetings with the officers of the market vendors associations have been held, and the City Engineer’s Office has also consulted them during the process of preparing the Program of Works for the project, Leonardia said.“This 150 million assistance will be a substantial...

City PIO photoThe Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) is warning the public against getting COVID-19 vaccine jabs of different brands.Having different vaccine brands for the first and second doses has not been proven to give protection against the coronavirus disease, as there is no scientific data supporting this, the EOC-TF said.The Department of Health (DOH) has also not issued any advisory or statement affirming the safety of being inoculated with two different brands of COVID-19 vaccines, the EOC-TF added.City Administrator Em Ang, executive director of EOC, urged the public not to risk their health by “mixing the brands.”“Mixing of brands has never been proven safe and effective yet. So, when it comes to your health, always choose what is ...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson again called on Negrenses to strictly observe COVID-19 health protocols amid the threat of the highly contagious and deadly Delta variant.Lacson said Negros Occidental will never be ready enough for a Delta variant outbreak that is why “we just really hope that we can prevent it.”“That is why we’re still calling on people to follow the minimum requirements, which is face mask, face shield, distancing, avoid gatherings, avoid leisure travels,” he said.All those entering the province are also required to have negative COVID-19 test results, he said.Lacson said he has not issued any order preventing unvaccinated residents from leaving their homes.They will just wait for instructions from the national government, he said.In Bacolod...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) congratulated Nesthy Petecio for bringing honor to the Philippines by winning the silver medal in the women’s featherweight final at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, August 3.“I honestly think that she won the bout. Be that as it may, I congratulate Nesthy Petecio for again bringing honor to our country,” Lacson said.Japan’s Sena Irie beat Petecio for the gold in a controversial victory.Petecio’s silver medal is “the result of years of sacrifice and discipline which our youth should emulate. Boxing was her way of helping her family get out of poverty and she succeeded”, Lacson said.Petecio equalled the 1996 Olympic medal feat of boxing legend Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco of Negr...