Local officials ask public to stay home

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Top provincial and city officials here again asked the public to stay in their homes to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said “all of us have an obligation, all of us have to do our share. This is wartime, this is a war against COVID-19.”

Leonardia said the least that can be done is to stay at home if it is not necessary to go out.

He also urged non residents of Bacolod not to go here if it is not important.

Leonardia said that starting Friday, non residents who are working here have to present their ID or employment certification or else they will be denied entry.

It will be “no ID no ENTRY” starting Friday, Leonardia said.

Leonardia issued Executive Order No. 21 which shut down the city borders.

A curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. was also imposed starting Tuesday.

Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, head of the city’s COVID-19 Inter- Agency Task Group, echoed the call of Leonardia.

He said “it is safer for everyone to stay home.”

Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya said the more one is outside and in public places, the more one is exposed to the virus.

Gasataya also said his office has coordinated with the Department of Health in the region to ask for Personal Protective Equipment or PPEs for health personnel in the frontline in the war against COVID-19.

Governor Eugenio Lacson also called on Negrenses to  limit their movements and stay at home and only go out if necessary such as to buy food and emergency situations.

In Sagay City, Mayor Alfredo Marañon III urged all the Sagaynons who came outside of Negros Occidental to subject themselves to home quarantine and follow safety procedures to ensure that the city remains COVID-19 free.

Marañon said the local government unit is doing its best to monitor people coming in and going out of the city since the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte for community quarantine.

As of Tuesday, Sagay City recorded 227 persons under monitoring (PUMs), and two persons under investigation (PUIs).

PUMs don’t have symptoms but travelled to infected areas while PUIs have symptoms and with travel history to infected areas.

Most of the identified PUMs and PUIs arrived in Negros after the Metro Manila lockdown announcement late last week.

A PUI was brought to the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay Friday while the other one was brought to Cadiz District Hospital in Cadiz City yesterday, right after they showed symptoms.

Of the 227 PUMs, 14 persons have finished the 14-day home quarantine prescribed by the Department of Health.

Marañon said that he seeks for the cooperation of every Sagaynons through hand washing, avoiding crowded places, social distancing, and other precautionary measures that could stop the spread of the virus, according to DOH.

A task force conducted disinfection activities in the bus terminal and public market of the city Tuesday.

Marañon also inspected various retail and grocery stores around the city to check the prices of masks, alcohol, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) sold.

He said that he wants to ensure that these stores are following the guidelines disseminated by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Temperature checks through thermal guns in the bus terminals, city hall, and other major thoroughfares of the city are also conducted.