- MITCH M. LIPA
Acting Negros Occidental Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said the provincial Capitol building in Bacolod City will have limited operations from Jan. 24 to 28 to give way to decontamination, following the rising COVID cases among employees, including Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Ferrer said this is to stop the further spread of the virus in the workplace, adding that all employees will resume office on Jan. 31.
The provincial government departments will maintain a skeleton workforce to ensure the delivery of basic services.
The hospitals and offices providing health and disaster response will remain fully operational to also ensure a continuity in the delivery of basic services to the public.
Ferrer said some of his personnel also got infected, and are part of the 21 employees who tested positive for coronavirus disease since the start of the year.
He said those infected included four each from the Provincial Planning and Development and Legal, two employees each from the Provincial Health and Treasurer’s, and one case each from the Governor’s Office, General Services, Provincial Agriculturist, Information Office, Negros Occidental Language and IT Center, Human Resources, Provincial Engineering, Provincial Administrator’s, and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Provincial Administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, Saturday confirmed that Lacson tested positive for COVID-19.
Lacson underwent self-isolation since Jan. 20 after he experienced a sore throat, Diaz said, adding that the governor had been busy visiting southern Negros since last week to attend to and distribute assistance to Negrenses affected by Typhoon Odette.
Lacson drove himself Saturday to the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City for RT-PCR testing, and the result showed him positive for COVID.
The governor is doing well and finishing his isolation period, Diaz said. | MML
