COVID-infected workers at City Hall swell to 92

The number of Iloilo City Hall workers who contracted the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) swelled to 92 after partial result of the massive testing yielded additional positive cases.

From Sept 23 to 26, 2020, the City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (CESU) detected 59 employees who tested positive for COVID-19.

COVID-19-hit City Treasurer Office (CTO), which initially recorded 33 positive cases, logged 29 more cases as of Sept 26, according to CESU.

Other employees who tested positive are from the General Services Office (5); Beautification project (4); Sangguniang Panlungsod (4); City Health Office (3); City Budget Office (2); City Mayor’s Office (2); and City Population Office (2).

Task Force Anti-Squatters and Illegal Structures (ASIS), City Assessor, City Administration, Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO), Human Resource Management Office (HRMO); City Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office (CDRMMO) each recorded one case.

Last week, City Councilor Jay Treñas confirmed that he also tested positive for COVID-19.

The Iloilo City Hall was closed for three days last week following the surge of cases detected at the building.

Almost 2,390 City Hall employees and officials were subjected to real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.

As of this writing, the CHO received 875 negative results out of 2,385 who were tested from Sept 22 to 25.

Meanwhile, Mayor Jerry Treñas appealed to the public to pray for the positive patients in the metro that have been steadily increasing for the past few weeks.

“Two of our department heads and one head of office are positive; three executive assistants, and one City Councilor are also presently positive. Aside from our employees who are also positive, please pray for all our positive patients from the city. Let us take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others,” he said on Sunday.

The Iloilo City Hall is expected to reopen today, Sept 28.

Only those with negative results will be allowed to report back to work.

 

TOTAL LOCKDOWN EXTENDED

Meanwhile, the Iloilo City Government on Sunday announced that it will extend the total lockdown in four barangays to three more days.

These barangays are Jalandoni Estate, Bo. Obrero and Mansaya in Lapuz district, Simon Ledesma in Jaro district, and Concepcion in City Proper district.

The said barangays were placed under five-day total lockdown on Sept. 22 via Executive Order No. 148 issued by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas due to the steady rise in COVID-19 cases.

The lockdown on eight other barangays was lifted at 6 pm Sunday. (Joseph B.A. Marzan and ERS)