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Barbara Mijares photoBacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia issued an executive order on Easter Sunday, April 4, imposing more stringent health and safety protocols to reduce the number of people allowed at public venues to “nip in the bud” the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Bacolod City effective immediately.Although Bacolod City is under Modified General Community Quarantine, he said at least for the month of April, all government and private offices are strongly advised to implement a skeletal work force system and alternative work arrangements to reduce the number of employees working onsite at these offices at any one time.Leonardia, in Executive Order No. 17, Series of 2021, also said any form of mass gathering or business activity is strongly advised to be at 30 percent...

Three more Bacolod City government employees have tested positive for Covid-19 bringing the total to 19, City Administrator Em Ang said Sunday, April 4.Two more employees of the City Engineer’s Office and one from the Office of the Mayor tested positive, she said.The Bacolod City Government Center, which has been disinfected, will reopen on Monday, April 5, she added.The RT-PCR test results of close contact of the 19 are being awaited, while surveillance testing of city government employees for COVID-19 will be conducted on Monday, Ang said.Dr. Chris Sorongon, the Bacolod Emergency Operations Center deputy for medical data and analysis, and 15 Bacolod City government employees had tested positive for COVID-19 last week.The 15 government employees who tested positive ear...

Photo from http://www.casinofilipino.ph/bacolod/Nine employees of Casino Filipino Bacolod in Bacolod City have tested positive for COVID-19, City Administrator Em Ang confirmed Sunday, April 4.“They had a clustering of cases,” she said.The Casino was closed on Saturday and the Bacolod Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office conducted thorough disinfection of the Casino facilities, she said.All of the Casino employees have been tested and those who are COVID-positive have been extracted for quarantine purposes, she said.The Casino underwent a 24-hour shutdown and reopened today, Dr. Edwin Miraflor, Bacolod City Health Officer OIC, said.The national Inter-Agency Task Force allows a 24-hour closure, he said.Andrea Domingo, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. ch...

Bacolod DRRM photoThe national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved a moratorium on air and sea travel of passengers from the National Capital Region Plus and Cebu to Western Visayas from April 4 to 10, Juan Jovian Ingeniero, Department of the Interior and Local Government 6 regional director, confirmed Sunday, April 4.NCR Plus includes Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal that will remain under Enhanced Community Quarantine until April 11.Iloilo Mayor Jerry Treñas, who requested for the moratorium, told DIGICAST NEGROS that DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III informed him of the IATF approval of his request late Saturday, April 3.Treñas assured that the movement of cargo and travel from Iloilo to Bacolod City and vice ve...

Capitol photoThe national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is scheduled to deliberate on the appeal of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson to allow Negros Occidental to impose mandatory COVID-19 testing and quarantine of travelers on entry into the province.The IATF is expected to deliberate on his appeal on Monday, April 5, Lacson said Sunday, April 4.“I believe this is imperative in order to protect our constituents, our local economy and our future as a province,” Lacson said Thursday, April 1, in letters to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar, and Secretary Vince Dizon, NTF deputy chief implementer and COVID-19 testing czar.The governor said he would like to prevent the unco...

Negros Occidental had 418 active COVID-19 cases, but six local government units were free of the virus on Saturday, April 3, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported Sunday, April 4.The six LGUs with no active COVID-19 cases were Candoni, Salvador Benedicto, Hinoba-an, La Castellana, Manapla and Moises Padilla.San Carlos City had the highest COVID-19 cases at 78.Mayor Renato Gustilo has issued an executive order temporarily suspending operations of all resorts and recreational parks in San Carlos City due to the surge in COVID-19 local transmissions.The PIMT also reported that Cadiz City has 56 active COVID-19 cases, La Carlota City - 43, Silay City - 28, Bago City - 24, Talisay City, Toboso - 16, Escalante City - 15, Binalbagan -14, Pulupandan -13;Calatrava -12...

303rd IB photo“They died as heroes protecting the people of Cauayan.”That is how the Army described Cpl. Alaster Balboa from Zamboanga City and Sgt. Jhoem Meguillo of North Cotabato who were on board a motorcycle when they were ambushed by suspected New People’s Army rebels in Sitio Cambaga, Brgy Yao-Yao, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, on Black Saturday, April 3.After a send-off ceremony at the Bacolod-Silay Airport, the remains of the two 15th Infantry Brigade soldiers were transported on a military aircraft to their families in Zamboanga City and North Cotabato on Easter Sunday, April 4.The soldiers were gathering information in support of the Army’s Community Support Program (CSP) teams when they were ambushed by the NPA terrorist, Maj. Cenon Pancito, Army 3rd Infantry Divi...

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-Negros Occidental Provincial Office in Talisay City will be closed starting Monday, April 5, until further notice after its employees were exposed to a COVID-19 positive patient, TESDA Negros Occidental announced Sunday, April 4.“This is for the safety and health of our clients, employees and partners,” it said.During this time, the TESDA provincial office and Regional Training Center-Talisay will be subjected to thorough disinfection and sanitation, the announcement added.Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections Bacolod Office will remain closed until April 12 when the quarantine period of its staff ends, City Elections Officer Kathrina Trinio Caña saidSeven personnel of the Bacolod Comelec office and a utility worker ...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia Sunday, April 4, wished their constituents a Happy Easter and stressed the need for discipline to protect lives as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.Leonardia also thanked Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon and the clergy for responding positively to the appeal for stricter adherence to fundamental health protocols during the observance of the Holy Week.He said while Bacolod City remains under Modified General Community Quarantine in April, mainly because of a much lower number of COVID-19 cases for most of March, “the situation now has drastically changed with more positive cases coming up every day over the last two weeks, causing us great alarm.”This dangerous situation was understood by the bishop and th...