BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson’s three-day “health break” will be extended. He tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) over the weekend.
Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer is now the acting governor. Yesterday, he ordered a limited operation of the provincial capitol “to break the transmission of COVID-19 virus among provincial government employees.”
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Lacson’s isolation period has been extended to 10 days.
He also said the governor, who got vaccinated against COVID-19 a few months ago, felt okay except for a sore throat that he started experiencing while checking last week the typhoon-hit southern part of the province.
Diaz assured Negrenses that Lacson was not infectious when the latter visited southern Negros last week, thus there was no need to test those who were with him.
The limited operation of the provincial capitol is from Jan. 24 to 28.
This was recommended by the Provincial Health Office (PHO) which cited a marked increase in COVID-19 positive cases (21) in the past week in the following capitol offices:
* Provincial Planning and Development Office – four
* Provincial Legal Office – four
* Provincial Treasurer’s Office – two
* Provincial Health Office – two
* Governor’s Office – one
* General Services Office – one
* Office of the Provincial Agriculturist – one
* Provincial Information Office – one
* Negros Occidental Language and IT Center – one
* Provincial Human Resource Management Office – one
* Provincial Engineering Office – one
* Provincial Administrator’s Office – one
* Sangguniang Panlalawigan – one
The PHO further observed that numerous employees were exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and recommended for their immediate quarantine.
All provincial government departments are to maintain a skeleton workforce to ensure the delivery of basic services.
Provincial government-run hospitals and offices directly involved in disaster risk reduction and management and delivery of health services shall maintain in full operation.
All capitol offices will be disinfected.
Ferrer also directed all department heads to monitor their office employees for COVID-19 symptoms. They shall immediately report employees exhibiting symptoms to the Provincial Health Office for immediate testing, isolation and/or quarantine./PN
