(PNA Bacolod file photo)
BACOLOD CITY – Two more local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental have been placed under Alert Level 1 by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) starting Thursday.
The addition of Cadiz City and Pontevedra brought to nine the total number of LGUs in the province under the lowest category in the country’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) alert level system.
Negros Occidental has 12 cities and 19 municipalities.
The highly-urbanized Bacolod City is also under Alert Level 1.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said with the classification being determined for each city and municipality, those with lower vaccination coverage will still have limited activities and stricter limitations.
“That puts emphasis on the effort of each LGU to cooperate with the provincial vaccination drive,” Diaz added.
In areas placed under Alert Level 1, movement of persons, regardless of age and comorbidities, is allowed, but with restrictions on crowded and closed spaces and close contact (3Cs) settings while private establishments and government agencies are allowed to operate at full on-site capacity, subject to minimum public health standards.
Diaz said LGUs, particularly those with the same local chief executives until 2025, can keep their vaccination performance going so that Negros Occidental can hit the target of inoculating 70 percent of its population as mandated by the Department of Health (DOH).
“Those that have not reached the DOH requirement, they also should step up and assist the province in reaching our fellow Negrenses that need to be vaccinated,” he added.
From June 16 to 30, also under Alert Level 1 are the towns of Candoni, Enrique B. Magalona, Pulupandan and San Enrique, and the component cities of La Carlota, Sagay and Victorias.
The rest of Negros Occidental remains under Alert Level 2. (PNA)
