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. chair, ordered the testing of Casino personnel around the country, Miraflor said.
He said from March 29 to April 1, there were 341 Bacolod casino employees who underwent RT-PCR tests and nine were found positive.
PAGCOR officials could not be reached for comment.
On March 20, a senior citizen male guest suffered a heart attack and collapsed at the casino, Miraflor said.
The Casino guest died on arrival at a hospital but he was not swabbed for a COVID-19 test, Miraflor said.
Bacolod City had 35 COVID-19 cases on March 31, 21 on April 1, 36 on April 2 and 27 on April 3, Ang said.
Meanwhile, the Bacolod Evangelical Church pastors and administrative staff were exposed to a COVID-19 patient and had to cancel face to face services, BEC announced on its Facebook page.
The Church office will reopen on April 10, it said.*