Negros Occidental had 316 new COVID-19 cases, with more Capitol employees and hospital health care workers (HCWs) also hit, and six new deaths on Thursday, January 27.
The province now has 2,641 COVID-19 active cases, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported.
The number of employees at the Provincial Capitol hit with COVID-19 is 28, with a lawyer at the Provincial Legal Office and three at the accounting office testing positive for COVID-19, Provincial Administrator Rayfrado Diaz said.
HCWs positive for COVID-19 at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City were 73, while 23 other close contacts were also in quarantine, he said.
A total of 122 HCWs in Negros Occidental provincial government-run hospitals are COVID-19 positive.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health said Bacolod City had 198 new COVID-19 cases for a total of 1,239 active cases and one new death on Thursday.
Diaz said the surge in COVID 19 cases is apparently being caused by the Omicron variant.
Most of those infected are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, he said.
He stressed the need to get vaccinated against the virus to prevent getting seriously ill.*