By Francis Allan L. Angelo, Dolly Yasa, and Felipe V. Celino
Cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in three provinces of Western Visayas spiraled during the Holy Week, prompting border and travel restrictions.
In Antique, the capital town of San Jose recorded last week 47 active cases, including 20 health workers of Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital.
As of April 3, 2021, Antique tallied 104 positive cases including 93 active cases.
San Jose Mayor Elmer C. Untaran said Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas offered 1,000 testing kits to help the town stem the spread of the disease.
Untaran said they also sent 50 specimens to the Uswag Molecular laboratory for COVID-19 testing.
Meanwhile, Antique province Gov. Rhodora Cadiao issued Sunday an executive order implementing a two-week border restriction from April 5 to 19.
Cadiao told Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo that they will ask the regional Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to approve their request for border restrictions.
The province will also impose a liquor ban and curfew from 9 pm to 4 am to prevent mass gatherings.
Movements of essential goods, authorized persons outside residence and medical personnel will be unhampered.
Inter-town border controls will also be enforced.
In Negros Occidental, the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) reported 418 active cases.
The PIMT also reported that as of April 3, Negros Occidental has 7,556 confirmed cases including 6,911 recoveries and 227 deaths.
Only the towns of Candoni, Don Salvador Benedicto, Hinoba-an, La Castellana, Manapla, and Moises Padilla remain COVID-free.
San Carlos City has the highest number of active cases in the province with 78, followed by Cadiz City with 56, La Carlota City (43), Silay City (28), and Bago City (24).
Earlier, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson ordered the reversal to the previous entry protocols for travelers which required swab testing upon arrival in the province.
Meanwhile, the Capiz Provincial Health Office (PHO) revealed that 8 new cases were added to the province on April 1 – 6 from the town of Maayon and 2 from Roxas City.
The PHO recorded 3 new cases on March 30 and seven the following day.
So far, Capiz has 30 active cases – 17 from Roxas City, 8 in Maayon, 2 in Panay, and 1 each in Cuartero, Panitan, and Tapaz.
Capiz now has 1,346 confirmed cases including 1,252 recoveries.
