Bacolod City – Five local government units in Negros Occidental have joined highly-urbanized Bacolod City in the list areas in the country placed under COVID-19 Alert Level 1 by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), effective April 1 to 15.
The five Negros Occidental LGUs are EB Magalona, Pulupandan, San Enrique, and the cities of La Carlota and Sagay.
This came after the provincial government of Negros Occidental joined the Department of Health – Western Visayas in asking DOH that Alert Level classifications should be done per LGU, not by province.
Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental was also placed under Alert Level 1 by IATF-EID.
Under Alert Level 1, intrazonal and interzonal travel shall be allowed without regard to age and comorbidities.
All establishments, persons, or activities, are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards.
Presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said all other component cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental and Oriental shall be classified under Alert Level 2.
Under Alert Level 2, establishments and activities are allowed at 50 percent capacity indoors for fully vaccinated adults (and minors, even if unvaccinated), and 70 percent capacity outdoors.
As of March 31, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported that Negros Occidental has additional three cases, bringing to 46 the total number of COVID-19 active cases. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)