Negros Occidental Eugenio Jose Lacson (File photo courtesy of PIO Negros Occidental)
BACOLOD CITY – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is hoping that local cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will continue to decrease.
“I hope we can continue this downtrend. Just the same, we still have to follow minimum health protocols,” he said in a telephone interview Tuesday with Capitol reporters.
Data of the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) showed a steady decrease in the number of active cases in Negros Occidental in the past week.
As of May 17, the province logged 1,589 active cases, lower by 256 cases compared to the 1,845 recorded on May 16.
On May 15, the active cases totaled 1,886; May 14 –2,156; May 13 –2,159; May 12 –2,406; May 11 –2,352; and May 10 –2,367.
Last month, Lacson asked the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to reclassify Negros Occidental’s status from modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ) when coronavirus cases in the province surged, starting middle of March after it adopted the uniform travel protocols.
The IATF-EID, however, denied his request, pointing out that active cases logged by the province do not qualify for its escalation to GCQ status.
Meanwhile, at the Provincial Capitol here, Lacson said some 36 employees are considered as active cases who are still in isolation.
Among those recently infected are two executive assistants at the Office of the Governor.
On May 20, the provincial government will conduct a “mass vaccination” for Capitol employees, particularly those assigned in the frontline services.
Lacson said that although no one can be forced to be vaccinated against Covid-19, he hopes that those working for the provincial government will have themselves inoculated.
“We cannot force anybody, but we strongly encourage them to take this opportunity to get the vaccine and not refuse it. Experts tell us that the vaccine could be the final solution so we can all heal from the pandemic. We should all do our part,” he added. (PNA)
