By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson issued an executive order Wednesday extending the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) in the province from Oct 1-31, 2020.
Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, on the other hand, issued an executive order placing this city under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from the stricter Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) for the same period.
The quarantine statuses require certain health protocols in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19.
In Executive Order No. 20-46, Lacson cited Resolution No. 60-A series of 2020 dated July 30, 2020 of the National Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (NIATF-MEID) that classified the province of Negros Occidental as a low-risk administrative province, thus the MGCQ status.
Meanwhile Leonardia’s Executive Order No. 63, Series of 2020 also cited the decision of the national task force to reclassify Bacolod under the more relaxed MGCQ.
The relaxation of the city’s status is “indicative of the improvement in the implementation of infection containment measures undertaken while Bacolod City was in MECQ from September 8-30, 2020.”
Leonardia said that with the city sliding down to GCQ from MECQ, the use and implementation of the Home Quarantine Pass and the posting of check-up points are suspended.
But the entry and exit of Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs) shall be regulated.
Public transportation shall be allowed on a limited capacity under Department of Transportation (DOTr) guidelines.
As of this writing, Negros Occidental has 3,079 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (1,571 active cases, 1,442 recoveries, and 66 deaths).
Bacolod City has 3,961 (1,176 active cases, 2,705 recoveries, and 80 deaths).
