The COVID-19 hit health care workers in eight Negros Occidental and Bacolod City government hospitals hit 259 on Friday, January 21.
There were 29 new HCWs who tested positive for COVID-19 at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City on Friday bringing the total to 201 this January, Dr. Julius Drilon, CLMMRH chief, said.
The COVID-19 positive HCWs at seven Negros Occidental provincial government-run hospitals also hit 58 on Friday, with the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City badly affected.
The TLJPH Out-Patient Department (OPD) will be temporarily closed until further notice due to the surging COVID-19 cases among hospital personnel, Dr. Mary Ann Maestral, chief of hospital said.
The remaining OPD staff will be temporarily be reassigned to departments where augmentation is needed, she said.
Only anti-rabies vaccinations that had been previously set will go on as scheduled, she said.
COVID-19 has hit seven doctors, nine nurses, five medical technologists, a pharmacist, one radiologic technologist and 13 support/administration staff at the TLJPH for a total of 36, Provincial Administrator Rayfrado Diaz said Friday night.
The virus has also hit three nurses at the Cadiz District Hospital in Cadiz City, three doctors and one nursing attendant at the Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City, one doctor, a dentist and four nurses at the Valladolid District Hospital in Valladolid town;
Five nurses and one nursing attendant at the Ignacio L. Arroyo Memorial District Hospital in Isabela town, a dietician and pharmacist at the Don Salvador Benedicto Memorial District Hospital in La Carlota City, and a pharmacist at the Valeriano M. Gatuslao Memorial District Hospital in Himamaylan City, he added.
The Cadiz District Hospital main building is fully occupied with COVID-19 patients, Diaz said, adding that they aim to open its 90-bed annex this weekend.
Negros Occidental had 238 new COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths, the Department of Health reported Friday.
The province has 1,914 active COVID-19 cases, it added.*