By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) caught 27,209 violators of health protocols since the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from March 17, 2020 to Jan 3, 2021.
Based on the data from the BCPO, curfew violators totaled 12,544; persons who failed to wear face masks, 8,358; non-observance of social distancing, 3,684; no home quarantine pass, 2,230; non-wearing of faceshield, 377; and liquor ban, 16.
The city government ordered the police to strictly monitor violators to prevent the spread of the virus, considering that the city reported the rapid transmission of the virus in August and September.
In fact, local officials issued some city ordinances to officially implement the health protocols and to prohibit people from loitering without necessary transactions outside their houses for their safety.
The highest number of violators arrested was recorded from June 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020, with 12,329, according to the records from the BCPO. The city was under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) that time.
During the holiday season, the BCPO recorded 1,421 violators from December 1, 2020 to January 3, 2021.
In that period, curfew hours were only lifted on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve for the yuletide celebrations.
Despite the reduction of COVID cases in the past months, authorities continue to remind the public to follow and observe health protocols.
