Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has announced the strict enforcement of wearing facemasks in public transportation in response to the rising COVID-19 deaths in the city.
According to a record release by the Department of Health Region 6, eight COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in Bacolod City this year, with 2 of them occurring in April.
As of Sunday, Bacolod City has 74 active COVID-19 cases, while Negros Occidental has 299 active cases – the second highest in Western Visayas. Iloilo has the highest number of active cases in Western Visayas at 890.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has kept 16 out of 31 local government units in Negros Occidental under Alert Level 2 from April 15 to 30.
The 16 LGUs under Alert Level 2 are Bago, Kabankalan, San Carlos, Sipalay, and Escalante cities, and Binalbagan Calatrava, Cauayan, Hinigaran, Hinoba-an, Isabela, La Castellana, Manapla, Moises Padilla, Salvador Benedicto and Toboso.
While these areas have reached low risk classifications for cases and utilization rates, they have vaccination rates lower than 70% of the target total and population and/or 70% of the total A2 population (senior citizens). Meeting these targets will allow these areas to be de-escalated to Alert Level 1, the IATF said.
Meanwhile, the 15 Negros Occidental LGUs under Alert Level 1 are Cadiz, Himamaylan, Talisay, Victorias, La Carlota, Sagay and Silay cities, and the municipalities of Candoni, EB Magalona, Ilog, Murcia, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique and Valladolid.
