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Guv, 20 others Covid positive, Capitol locked down for a week

Acting Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer has ordered the lockdown of the Negros Occidental Capitol in Bacolod City starting Monday until Friday, January 24 to 28, to break the further transmission of COVID-19 among provincial government employees.

“It will be a temporary lockdown of offices for disinfection, but limited operations will continue with some employees working on a skeleton force and from home,” Ferrer told DIGICAST NEGROS.

Ferrer issued the order after Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and 20 other Capitol employees tested positive for COVID-19.

The provincial government will operate on a skeleton force during the lockdown, Ferrer said in a memorandum order issued Sunday.

Ferrer said he issued the order on the recommendation of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) that observed a marked increase in COVID-19 positive cases in provincial government offices in the past week.

Aside from the governor, among the 20 others at the Capitol who tested positive are from the Provincial Planning and Development Office and Provincial Legal Office – four each, Provincial Treasurer’s Office and Provincial Health Office – two each, and General Services Office, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Provincial Information Office, Negros Occidental Language and IT Center, Provincial Human Resource Management Office, Provincial Engineering Office, Provincial Administrator’s Office and Sangguniang Panlalawigan – one each, Ferrer said.

The PHO further observed that numerous Capitol employees have been exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and recommend for their immediate quarantine considering that most of them live in Bacolod City, which currently has a high number of COVID-19 positive cases, Ferrer said.

Ferrer ordered all provincial government offices to maintain skeleton workforces in order to ensure the delivery of basic services.

Provincial government hospitals, and offices delivering health services and disaster response offices will remain fully operational to ensure continuity in the delivery of services to the public, Ferrer said.

All Capitol offices will undergo disinfection during the lockdown, he said.

He directed provincial government department heads to monitor the employees under them for any COVID-19 symptoms.

They should immediately report employees exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms to the PHO for immediate testing, isolation and quarantine, Ferrer said.

GUV POSITIVE

Lacson, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, has been advised to undergo a 10-day quarantine.

The governor said he has less cough now and his isolation could be shortened to seven days since has had a COVID-19 booster shot.

It is not known where the governor was infected but he had been keeping a hectic schedule delivering assistance to typhoon hit areas in southern Negros Occidental.

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said they are waiting for the RT-PCR test results of more Capitol employees.

Close contacts of the governor will also be tested, he said.*

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