BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia has ordered the lockdown of the Bacolod City Hall at Araneta Street starting today until further notice, due to the recent COVID-19 infections affecting employees assigned there.
The lockdown will allow the city government to disinfect the building and to prevent the spread of the virus while contact tracing procedures are being done, he said.
Leonardia appealed to the public for understanding and cooperation.
General Services Office head Jerome Solinap yesterday said they are still waiting for the result of their swab tests before they can resume their operation at City Hall.
He said about 20 employees of the GSO, including himself, were subjected to rapid test last week after a utility worker under their office and assigned at the Bacolod Arts, Youth and Sports (BAYS) Center, tested positive for COVID-19.
Tangub Barangay Captain Noli Villarosa had ordered the whole of Purok Seaside in Tangub, where the utility worker lives, placed under lockdown after his sister and mother also tested positive for the virus. All three are now in a hospital.
The Bacolod City Government Center was also closed for disinfection Wednesday after the utility worker was seen in the facility processing his loan and payroll and visiting several offices.
About 19 employees of the Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs also tested positive for COVID-19.
Records of the City Health Office showed that aside from Purok Seaside in Brgy.Tangub, there are nine other barangays in the city that have local transmissions.
These are Barangays 29 and 26, Mandalagan, Alijis, Banago, Estefania, Taculing, Mansilingan and Singcang-Airport.
The whole Purok Mahimulaton in Barangay Banago involving 633 households was also placed under lockdown Friday after 13 of its residents, who had been into close contact with the COVID-19 positive carpenter who died, tested positive of the virus.
As of Friday, areas that were sealed off include Purok Paghidaet, Brgy. 29 (1 household), and Purok Riverside, Banago (five households) and Purok Masanag, Brgy. 26 (30 households).
Other areas that were placed under lockdown were portions of Purok Villamar, Celine Homes, and Greenville in Estefania; Purok Malipayon in Brgy. 12; Alunan Yulo Extension in Brgy. 35; Villa Esperanza in Tangub; Gonzaga Ext. in Brgy. 27; Purok Kabukiran, Goldland Ville, Lirio and Masagana in Taculing;
Plaza Allan Arceo Drive in Mansilingan; CL Montelibano Drive in Villamonte; Villa Angela Angel and Abada-Escay in Vista Alegre; Purok 3 and Lamperong in Singcang; Puroks Bayanihan and Riverside in Banago.*
