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Richard Malihan photoThe Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital molecular laboratory in Silay City tested 227,621 samples for COVID-19 in the first year of its operation, Dr. Mary Ann Maestral, TLJPH chief, said Wednesday, June 2.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, at the TLJPH laboratory anniversary rites Tuesday, said with its establishment Negros Occidental became among the first local government units (LGUs) to have its very own molecular laboratory.It is the first molecular laboratory in Negros Occidental, and the first owned by an LGU in Western Visayas.Lacson said before the creation of the TLJPH laboratory Negros Occidental had to rely on the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City and the Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City for COVID-19 test ...

Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade photoFire hit four houses and a stockroom of a memorial park in Bacolod City, despite their being soaked by rain brought on by Tropical Storm Dante, before dawn Wednesday, June 2.Fire hit four houses at Lacson-San Sebastian streets at Purok Tunay, Barangay 32, and a stockroom at Santuario de Bacolod, Chief Inspector Rodel Legaspi said.Legaspi said three houses were destroyed and one was damaged when the fire in Barangay 32 hit at 1:20 a.m. Wednesday.Destroyed were the houses of Jeann Gonzales, Nita Gonzales and Maria Cecilia Masculino, and damaged was the house of Regie Gonzales, he said.Jeann Gonzales said she woke up to go to the bathroom when she saw her ceiling on fire, Legaspi added.The fire may have been caused by overheated wiri...

Seeking late medical consultation leads to increased chances of hospitalization, or worse- death, thus warned the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF)."Data on COVID-19 cases show that seeking consultation after four days or more since the onset of illness, increases the risk of being hospitalized, being placed on a mechanical ventilator, or of dying. Sustained exposure to other household members infects them subsequently," Contact Tracing head Dr. Rosalie Deocampo said during the EOC daily online huddle."Please do not go to work anymore if you are experiencing any discomfort or symptom. Call in sick to work and go to the Bacolod Respiratory Outpatient Center or any clinic of your choice for check-up and COVID-19 RT-PCR test for early detection, isolation, a...

Floods hit some areas of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City as heavy rains brought on by Tropical Storm Dante poured Tuesday night, June 1.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia placed Negros Occidental and Bacolod City disaster teams on alert with the anticipated heavy rains.Flooding and evacuation was reported in Isabela town, Tuesday night, Zeaphard Caelian, Provincial Disaster Management Program Division head, said.There was also flooding in Victorias City, City Administrator Dino Acuña said.Flooding was also reported in Purok Paghidaet, Barangay Tangub in Bacolod City, Executive Assistant Joemarie Vargas, cluster head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), said.Storm Signal No. 1 remained over Manapla, Cadiz City, Sa...

Bishop Julito Cortes appealed to the faithful to pray for Dumaguete City’s officials and all those hit by COVID-19, and to observe health protocols to prevent the further spread of the virus.“Let us pray even more: individually, as family, as community. Let us together beseech the Lord to deliver us from this calamitous pandemic that has wreaked unimaginable uncertainty and unspeakable grief to many of us,” the Dumaguete bishop said.Dumaguete City Vice Mayor Allen Gel Cordova died during a bike-for-a-cause activity Sunday, May 30, shortly after he recovered from COVID-19.Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Remollo and four councilors tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in isolation.Cortes, in his appeal to the faithful issued Monday, May 31, said the Diocese of Dumaguete mour...

Curfew will remain from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. and limiting mass gatherings to 30 percent of a venue’s capacity is strongly urged in Bacolod City amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases.This was stressed by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia in Executive Order No. 30 Series of 2021 issued on Monday, May 31, extending the Modified General Community Quarantine in Bacolod City to June 30.However, with the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Bacolod City the mayor may issue an additional executive order imposing more stringent measures to prevent the spread of the virus, City Administrator Em Ang said.The Department of Health on Monday classified Bacolod City as a high risk area for COVID-19.Bacolod City had 121 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, June 1, for a total of 1,252 active cases, the D...

Pontevedra PNP photoTwo persons on board a motorcycle died after they figured in an accident at a provincial road in Barangay Antipolo, Pontevedra, Negros Occidental, early Tuesday, June 1.Killed were motorcycle driver Rene Montaño, 43, and back rider Omar Domingo, 35, both of Barangay Buenavista Rizal in Pontevedra.Their motorcycle swerved due to the slippery road, and was hit by a trailing truck, which was driven by Leomar Alvarez, 29, of Barangay Malingin, Bago City, a police report showed.The victims were brought to the town’s Rural Health Unit, where they were declared dead on arrival.The truck driver is now detained at the municipal police station.*

Police Station 1 photoA man was gunned down at Rosario Street in Barangay 38, Bacolod City, Monday night, May 31.Killed was Roue Senador of Barangay Alijis.The victim was on board his motorcycle when he was attacked by unidentified riding-in-tandem suspects.He succumbed to gunshot wounds after he was shot with an unknown firearm by the assailants several times.Recovered from the crime scene were the victim’s belongings and three fired cartridges of an unknown firearm.Police are still investigating the incident.*