BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Special trips from Cebu carrying locally stranded individuals (LSIs) will now be allowed to enter Negros Occidental, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson announced yesterday.
Lacson made the decision after meeting with the provincial Incident Management Team on Monday morning.
Special trips of roll-on, roll-off vessels will be through Tabuelan, Cebu and the port of Escalante City and will last until June 30.
“This will ensure that the provincial government can control the entry of persons into the province to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),” said Lacson.
On Sunday, Lacson requested for a temporary suspension of the return of Negrenses from Cebu, following a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the province.
Lacson earlier expressed caution in accepting returning Negrenses from Cebu.
“Three positives in one day should be a cause of alarm,” he said.
All positive cases involved returning locally stranded individuals (LSIs) from Cebu.
Meanwhile, Lacson also issued an executive order, extending the modified general community quarantine in the province until June 30.
Under his new directive, passengers coming from Cebu will be immediately brought to the provincial quarantine center in Cadiz City, where they will await the result of their real time-polymerase reaction tests before being allowed to return home./PN
