Mayor Pedro Zayco said 17 more tested positive today, November 20, for COVID-19 in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, including the city engineer and 10 of his co-workers, prompting the closure of the city hall.
Earlier, seven Kabankalan City Engineers Office employees, including an assistant city engineer who died, and one from the City Assessor’s Office also tested positive for COVID-19.
Zayco said he and the city budget officer had themselves swabbed for COVID-19 tests since they had met with the city engineer to discuss the CEO’s supplemental budget about 10 days earlier.
The mayor said he also ordered the Kabankalan City Hall shutdown for disinfection.
Zayco is mulling the possibility of having all 200 employees at the Kabankalan City Hall tested for COVID-19 that will need the concurrence of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Testing for COVID-19 is important to prevent the spread of the virus and for the employees to protect their families, he said.
Employees at the City Assessor’s Office and CEO, including those from its motorpool, have been swabbed for COVID-19 tests, and both offices remain closed, Zayco said.
Of the 17 who tested positive today, 11 were from the engineer’s office and six were civilian close contacts of those hit by the virus, he said.
A third batch of Kabankalan City employees and close contacts of those who were hit by the virus totaling 127 were also swabbed today for COVID-19 tests, the mayor said.
More city employees will be swabbed depending on the test results of those swabbed today, he added.
Meanwhile, Barangay Manalad in Ilog town remains locked down after several residents tested positive for COVID-19.*