By Glazyl Y. Masculino and Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – The Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF)-6 has granted the moratorium on the arrival of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) in Negros Occidental on Christmas and New Year.
Resolution No. 84 from the RIATF stated the suspension of LSI arrival in the province on December 24, 25, and 31, 2020, and January 1, 2021.
The RIATF also endorsed the request on the suspension on the arrival of ROFs in the province on the said dates.
This, after the RIATF received a letter from the provincial government, citing that local government units (LGUs) will need to decongest, disinfect, and prepare quarantine facilities for the incoming batch of LSIs and ROFs.
RIATF-6 chairperson Juan Jovian Ingeniero said the acceptance of LSIs in the cities of Himamaylan and Victorias will be suspended from Dec 21, 2020 to Jan 3, 2021.
LSI repatriation to Calatrava town is also suspended from Dec 21 to January 3, 2021, while the moratorium in Cauayan takes effect from Dec 20 to Jan 3, 2021.
Ingeniero said Himamaylan City sent a letter to the RIATF last Nov 26 requesting for the moratorium to decongest their quarantine facilities and give time for their frontliners to rest.
Victorias City also made a similar request, pointing out they also want to give their frontliners some break.
The Municipality of Calatrava, on the other hand said there is a need to reorganize their qurantine facilities in preparation for the resumption of LSI arrivals on Jan 3.
The town of Cauayan said they need time to conduct repairs and maintenance to their quarantine facilities.
Ingeniero also said that the Department of Health in Western Visayas also provided them with the necessary data and they are not objecting to the requests of the four LGUs.
Earlier, the RIATF approved the request of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental for a moratorium on LSI arrivals from Dec 24, 25, and 31, 2020 and Jan 1, 2021.
During the said period, the Bacolod-Silay Airport will be closed to passenger traffic.
As of December 6, the province has 5,997 confirmed COVID cases, including 605 active cases, 5,207 recoveries, and 185 deaths, based on the data from the provincial government.
