BACOLOD CITY – Top officials of Negros Occidental and in this provincial capital reminded their constituents again on Friday to practice minimum health protocols after a recent increase in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections were noted.
As of Sept. 9, there were 1,521 active cases in Negros Occidental, steadily increasing in the past week, from only 871 on Aug. 31, reports of the Provincial Incident Management Team showed.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, in an interview, said he thinks the rise in infections could be due to the presence of the Delta variant.
“Actually, we do have a surge. We’re experiencing triple-digit increases already. I’d like to think that it’s probably the variant that we have here. It has been established that the Delta variant is more contagious. So, most likely it is the Delta variant,” he added.
Data of the Department of Health-Western Visayas (DOH-6) showed that as of Sept. 5, Negros Occidental has logged seven cases of the Delta variant.
“Let’s behave in a manner, knowing that the Delta variant is present now. We should behave accordingly,” Lacson said.
The governor added that although there is still not enough supply of vaccines for the priority sectors, he continues to call on the Negrenses to get vaccinated once they already have a schedule.
Meanwhile, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that on Thursday, the city “registered a three-digit record of 130 fresh cases, after a considerable period with only two-digit figures”.
“This development should serve as a reminder to all of us: we should not let our guard down and be complacent just because there was a downtrend of infections for close to two months,” he said in a statement.
As of Sept. 9, Bacolod has 1,121 active cases, figures of the DOH-6 showed.
Leonardia added that still, Bacolod is “in for a roller-coaster ride as long as this pandemic continues”.
“Therefore, vaccinated or unvaccinated, we should remain strictly compliant with the minimum health protocols,” the mayor emphasized.
These include wearing of face mask all the time, and face shield when necessary; avoiding crowded places and staying long in closed venues; and observing physical distancing and disinfecting, among others.
Leonardia said he has also directed the Bacolod City Police Office to assist in tightening the implementation of minimum health protocols, monitor compliance with the curfew hours and the liquor ban.
“We will continue to step up our vaccination drive and adopt more interventions where they are applicable, to get more residents inoculated. The recent recorded cases in Bacolod City – although some of our neighbors in the region have higher new infection rates than ours – should serve as an eye-opener. Again, we cannot be complacent,” he added.
Until Sept. 30, Bacolod is under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions or GCQ-HR while the entire province of Negros Occidental is under GCQ. (PNA)
