By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the province is now experiencing a second wave of local transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.
The Provincial Incident Management Team of Negros Occidental reported 317 new cases as of Thursday, based on test results from the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital molecular laboratory in Silay City.
This is the highest single-day spike in Covid cases in the province since the pandemic started last year, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.
Based on the PIMT data, Kabankalan City had the most number of new infections with 55, followed by Cadiz City (52), and Murcia (44).
Diaz also said that Negros Occidental Board Member Manuel Frederick Ko tested positive for COVID, apart from Murcia Mayor Gerry Rojas, two town councilors, a barangay captain, and 35 others in the town alone.
Earlier, Toboso Mayor Richard Jaojoco said nine police officers assigned to the town also tested positive.
Lacson admitted that it is very hard to manage the local transmissions of the coronavirus disease.
But what is important, he added, is that local government units are vigilant as far as contact tracing is concerned
Lacson issued Thursday an executive order limiting mass gatherings up to 30 percent of the seating or venue capacity, as recommended by the Provincial Incident Management Team.
He also said that lockdowns shall be limited only to specific areas in concerned LGUs and shall not include national roads.
Local chief executives have the discretion to declare localized or targeted lockdowns in their areas of jurisdictions, the governor said.
Lacson also clarified that provisions in the EOs he had issued may be subject to amendments, pursuant to issuances of the National Inter-Agency Task Force, or as justified by compelling circumstances.
Lacson also said that local chief executives may temporarily order the closure of leisure areas, until cases have gone down.
“While it will affect local tourism, I think we have to do it,” he pointed out.
Negros Occidental recorded 1,683 cases at the height of the Covid-19 infection.
“Right now, we have about 40 percent of the cases in 2020,” he said.
