BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental provincial capitol is off-limits to the public for five days beginning yesterday.
Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said the capitol premises will be thoroughly disinfected.
Seven provincial government employees tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“By locking down the capitol for five days we might be able to stop virus transmission,” Tumimbang said.
The Provincial Board and Vice Governor’s offices were compromised three times, according to Tumimbang.
“During the lockdown, we are implementing strict home quarantine on all provincial government employees,” Tumimbang said.
Despite the lockdown, the Provincial Health Office, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the command center will remain functional and continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in the province.
In a related development, the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) yesterday confirmed that another nurse and three patients were found infected with COVID-19.
In a radio interview, CLMMRH head Dr. Julius Drilon said the swab test carried out at the hospital now includes both hospital staff and those within the premises.
Drilon said they have yet to re-open admissions for suspected COVID-19 cases, since announcing that the hospital has reached full bed capacity for COVID-19 cases earlier this week.
The hospital has also hit manpower shortage due to the number of staff that had tested positive.
To recall, Drilon confirmed that 29 of their personnel tested positive for COVID-19 – eight doctors, four nurses and 17 non-medical support staff.
At least 113 hospital personnel have also been placed on quarantine.
CLMMRH’s out-patient department, department of obstetrics, department of gynecology, and neonatal intensive care unit also remain closed.
Drilon said they have implemented all safety and precautionary measures such as terminal cleaning and disinfection of the hospital wards, and conducting intensive contact tracing./PN
