‘Timeout weekend’ fails to get NIATF nod

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said only targeted lockdown in three cities and one municipality will be implemented on Aug 28-31, 2020 after the National Inter-Agency Task Force against the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 did not give its nod to the move.

The lockdown, also dubbed as Timeout Weekend, will give way to mass testing of symptomatic persons in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.

Lacson signed at 4 pm Thursday Executive Order No. 20-42 declaring a Timeout Weekend in the cities of Talisay, Silay, Bago and the town of Murcia from Aug 30-31,2020.

In a press conference, Lacson said all other cities and municipalities in the province will continue to follow the protocols under the Modified General Community Quarantine.

He also said that local chief executives of the four local government units (LGUs) covered by the Timeout Weekend will determine the specified areas to be placed under lockdown.

The lockdown shall only be limited to specific areas such as barangays and puroks (sub-villages) within the respective LGU and shall not include national roads.

Each LGU shall have the discretion to declare localized or targeted lockdown.

The governor said all national roads will remain open for the unhampered passage of travel of essential goods and Authorized Persons Outside Their Residence (APOR).

The mass testing will address the upsurge in local transmission cases.

Lacson said the province has not reached an alarming level in COVID cases.

On the other hand, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia also issued Thursday morning Executive Order No. 55 for the conduct of COVID-19 Mass Testing under the “O-Plan: One-Time, Big-Time.”

The mass testing is a joint program with the provincial government of Negros Occidental and four other LGUs from Aug 28 to 31.

In an earlier advisory, Leonardia said that residents of the city must stay at home from Aug 28-31,2020 while at least 5,000 residents, who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, will be subjected to swab tests.

Mass testing in the city is Aug 28-29 while for four identified localities in the province are scheduled on Aug 30-31.