BY CARLA P. GOMEZ
Transportation ground to a near halt for Timeout Weekend that began yesterday in three cities and one town in Negros Occidental.
The Timeout Weekend was held to enable mass COVID-19 testing in Silay and Talisay cities yesterday, and Bago City and Murcia today.
There were 725 tested in Talisay City and 315 in Silay City for a total of 1,040, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said yesterday.
The target number of residents to be tested in Bago City is 800 and in Murcia – 500.
The testing in Bago, Silay, Talisay and Murcia are target specific based on contact tracing, Diaz said.
He said the provincial government conducted COVID-19 testing in the LGUs even before the Timeout Weekend.
The Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital laboratory is currently running the tests for the 4,384 swab specimens from Bacolod City, collected during its mass testing from Thursday to Saturday, Board Member Ryan Gamboa said.
The Negros Occidental provincial government also sent 700 food packs for each of the four LGUs to support the participants in the COVID-19 testing, Diaz said.
Most streets in Bago and Talisay cities were empty and public markets closed for their Timeout Weekend yesterday.
In Silay City, Councilor Ryan Gamboa said movement was curtailed in Barangay Mambulac and at the Guinhalaran satellite market that have been ordered locked down by Mayor Mark Golez until September 5 due to COVID-19 cases.
Golez said the Guinhalaran satellite market was closed for decontamination after a resident died from COVID-19.
The entire Barangay Mambulac is also on lockdown as it has 27 COVID-19 positive cases, Golez also said.
Mayor Gerry Rojas also said transportation in Murcia also ground to a halt for Timeout Weekend yesterday.*
