91 LSIs return from Cebu

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force against the coronavirus 2019 or COVID 19 spokesperson Chacha Magallanes Tan said 91 Locally Stranded Individuals were fetched by the Negros Occidental provincial government from Tabuelan, Cebu on Sunday.

The 91 LSIs were transported to Escalante City on board a roll on-roll off vessel.

Buses from LGUs and an ambulance fetched the Negrense LSIs.

The repatriation of Negrense LSIs from Tabuelan, Cebu was stalled after talks between Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Tabuelan Mayor Raul Gerona hit a stalemate.

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Lacson issued a certificate of acceptance for 50 Negrenses but Gerona said he would grant their exit from the port of his town if 89 more at his border would also be allowed to return to Negros.

Diaz said that when the governor also okayed the return of the additional 89 on Gerona’s list, the mayor again increased the number to 130.

But Lacson did not agree to the additional LSIs because a calibrated return of stranded individuals is necessary to avoid overwhelming quarantine facilities.