BACOLOD City – The Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) is not suspending its operation in Negros Occidental despite this city reverting to modified enhance community quarantine (MECQ).
However, all buses of VTI will not enter this city effective today following the issuance of Mayor Evelio Leonardia’s Executive Order No. 60 containing the MECQ guidelines.
Part of Leonardia’s latest directive is the suspension of public transportation.
All buses of the giant bus company plying from the southern and northern portions of Negros Occidental all bound to Bacolod City -North and South terminals, according to Jade Seballos, VTI media relations manager
Seballos said they will remain in operation but they will not enter the capital city.
She also explained they will only limit the trips of their buses in the areas that are not covered by lockdown.
Aside from Bacolod City, Seballos said their buses beginning yesterday will not also enter Barangay Maao in Bago City, Negros Occidental.
Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo ordered the lockdown of the entire village.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Sept. 7 approved a stricter lockdown for Bacolod due to rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The recommendation made by the National Task Force (NTF) on COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. was presented to the President during a televised meeting.
Based on the Sept. 7 count of the Department of Health Region 6, there were a total of 1,151 active cases in the metro and 27 deaths.
On Monday alone, Bacolod recorded a total of 58 new confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Bacolod City was under general community quarantine prior to its shift to MECQ.
Negros Occidental, meanwhile, was placed under modified general community quarantine from Sept. 1 to 15./PN
