BY GABRIEL DOMINIQUE BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – A couple of offices at the provincial capitol of Negros Occidental are on a weeklong shutdown due to a confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019.
On Tuesday, offices of Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer of Negros Occidental and members of the Provincial Board were closed after a staff member was found infected with the viral illness.
The decontamination started on Thursday on the main floor of the capitol’s south wing.
Renelo Lastierre, head of the Security and Safety Division, said the closure and disinfection only cover the area occupied by the vice governor, board members and their staff.
The legislative and administrative offices located a floor below have remained open.
Lastierre said personnel of the Provincial Health Office were conducting contact tracing of those who have been exposed to the infected employee.
In the first week of August, the same offices were closed for a three-day decontamination after it was confirmed that an employee of a board member had tested positive for COVID-19.
In March, they were closed to the public for a day for disinfection after a staff of another board member was deemed a potential carrier of the virus.
On its Facebook page, the Provincial Board announced earlier that they have implemented health and sanitation measures to continue delivering uninterrupted service to their clients while also protecting their staff.
These included the implementation of the “no mask, no entry” policy; installation of plastic barriers for front-line staff; barring entry to areas intended only for authorized persons; setting up of alcohol dispensing stations near doors and high-traffic spaces; marking of seats for clients for proper physical distancing; providing liquid soap in all restrooms to encourage proper hand washing; regular wiping down of stair railings and doors with disinfectant; and discouraging staff from coming to work if they have flu-like symptoms.
In times when the sessions are held at the session hall, only limited gallery seats are provided.
The seats are reserved for the legislative staff only since physical distancing measures would not be possible if the session is opened to the public. (With a report from PNA/PN)
