BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – After another day of triple digit cases this week, the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) admitted that Negros Occidental was having a hard time controlling the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The province logged 244 new cases on May 3; 210 on May 4; and 141 on May 5, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed.
Of the 605 quarantine facilities in Negros Occidental, 89.42 percent or 541 were fully-occupied, said Dr. Zeaphard Caelian, PIMT head.
Caelian added that the province’s current quarantine classification – modified general community quarantine – is reason why they find it hard to stem COVID-19 transmission.
The provincial government tried to seek guidance from the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF), Caelian stressed, and even appealed to place Negros Occidental under a stricter quarantine classification but the request was thumbed down.
Meantime, Caelian said Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is planning to add more quarantine facilities in the province to accommodate more inbound travelers.
The PIMT is also leaving it to Lacson and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz to decide if a new travel moratorium is necessary.
As of May 5, there were 2,565 active COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental. Only the towns of Candoni and Don Salvador Benedicto recorded single-digit cases./PN
