BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he may request for a de-escalation of the pandemic alert level status of the province after the new round of vaccination campaign in the province this June (every Thursday and Friday) would improve the number of the vaccinated.
From the current Alert Level 2, Lacson wants the province to be under the less restrictive Alert Level 1 (the cities of La Carlota, Sagay and Victorias and the towns of E.B. Magalona, San Enrique, Candoni and Pulupandan are now under Alert Level 1 as decided by the Inter-Agency Task Force).
Bacolod City is also under Alert Level 1.
As of May 28, the province has 35 active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Lacson said there were no new local government units in the province placed under Alert Level 1. Asked if the recent spike in COVID-19 cases will affect the alert level status of Negros Occidental, the governor pointed out that it was only on May 25 that they had 19 new cases, since then it had gone down to one to three new cases a day.
“I expect these 19 cases to get well soon,” Lacson said.
Meanwhile, Provincial Health Officer (PHO) Dr. Ernell Tumimbang said health experts warned of an uptick of COVID19 cases in the country, as high as 500 cases per day, in areas with low vaccination coverage.
Tumimbang said the existence of the Omicron subvariant in Iloilo is a “cause of concern” as it is near Negros Occidental. He noted that the province has already opened its borders, with less restrictions to incoming travelers.
Tumimbang said there is a need to closely monitor those entering the province from Iloilo, especially those arriving at the Bacolod City ports.
“The people have already been complacent due to dwindling of cases in the past few weeks, and that there is no imminent threat,” he pointed out “The proposed successive province wide vaccination will cater those, who have yet to be vaccinated, as well as those to receive second doses and booster shots,” he added./PN
