BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The provincial government of Negros Occidental is hoping there would be no upsurge in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after the May 9 synchronized national and local elections.
The country’s health experts have warned of a possible increase in infections.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the capitol remains cautious and continue to implement stringent screenings of inbound people in various seaports of the province and at the Bacolod-Silay Airport.
Last week during Lent, people arriving from Iloilo and Metro Manila were required to present their vaccination cards.
Travelers who were either partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, meanwhile, were told to undergo rapid antigen tests.
The same strict protocols were also observed at the Bacolod-Silay Airport.
According to Diaz, these measures should be enough to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases.
As of April 19, the Provincial Incident Management Team in Negros Occidental reported that the number of active COVID-19 cases in the province dropped to just nine.
Total confirmed cases since March of 2020 reached 41,385 – with 39,407 cases eventually recovering. On the other hand, 1,968 cases died./PN
