By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Provincial Budget Management Office of the provincial government of Negros Occidental tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, said yesterday.

Diaz said that the OIC department head voluntarily submitted herself to swabbing on Friday, November 13, after having fever last Wednesday and the test yielded a positive result.

“Immediately we conducted contact tracing, swab and tested her family members and co- employees,” he said.

Her brother-in-law who stays also in their house also tested positive, Diaz said, adding that the employees at the Provincial Budget Office were all negative from the viral disease.

“The transmission occurred at their house which is in Bacolod City,” Diaz also said.

One of the reasons for the infection, he said, was that last weekend the COVID-positive patient had a family gathering wherein they invited five old ladies to pray for them.

He reminded the public that the virus is still there.

“We are discouraging the public not to unnecessarily invite outsiders into their houses. Think twice before you invite them at home for whatever reasons especially during wakes. It happened in Kabankalan City which caused an outbreak,” the provincial administrator said.

Meanwhile, the budget office and the session hall of the Sanggunian Panlalawigan were decontaminated last Saturday, November 14.

Diaz said the OIC budget officer appeared during the budget hearings last week but social distancing and wearing of face masks were followed.

Some of the department heads who attended the hearings tested negative for COVID-19.

Others submitted themselves for swab tests on Sunday and results are expected Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

Diaz added that the Provincial Health Office is currently looking for the five prayer ladies who maybe transferring from one wake to another./DGB, WDJ