Mayor Mark Golez has declared the Silay City government under Zoning Containment or temporary lockdown for five days starting Wednesday, January 19 until 23, for decontamination and to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Golez said one councilor and four city government employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and are symptomatic.
So far 34 close contacts of the four have been traced, he said.
Silay City had 81 COVID-19 cases as of Monday, 56 of whom were symptomatic and 25 asymptomatic.
He said 66 were fully vaccinated, 3 partially and 12 unvaccinated.
Seven are admitted in hospitals, 22 are in quarantine facilities and 52 are under home quarantine, he said.
The cases are spreading fast, it looks like it is already the Omicron variant that is causing it, Golez added.
Golez, in Special Executive Order 2022-01-01, Series of 2022 issued Tuesday, said the temporary lockdown will apply to all departments, divisions, offices and units of the Silay City government.
Only city government employees, including job order personnel who will form part of the skeletal workforce, will be allowed in the government offices, he said.
During the five-day period the City Health Office, Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and the Silay City COVID-19 Task Force will conduct extensive contact tracing of all affected personnel as well as disinfecting measures, he said.
There will be a work-from-home or on-call skeletal workforce to facilitate urgent and critical transactions only and to ensure unhampered delivery of public services, Golez added.*