BACOLOD City – Thirty-one barangays in this city out of 61 – or 50 percent – have confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), data from the City Inter-Agency Task Force against COVID-19 showed.
There were 564 households on lockdown in an effort to stop the virus from spreading.
Barangay 27 has the most number of infected households at 111, followed by Barangays Singcang with 85 and Barangay 18 with 65.
As of Aug. 15, the city recorded a total of 501 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 10 deaths.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairperson of the local COVID-19 task force, tried to allay public fears by comparing the number cases to the city’s population of about 613,000.
Familiaran also explained: “The city had many cases as of Aug. 15 bulletin due to the delay in the recording of data.”
Most of the infections, according to the vice mayor, were indigenous or local cases since houses of COVID-19 patients were situated in populated areas.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia earlier issued Executive Order No. 53, extending for the fifth time the modified general community quarantine in the city from Aug. 15 at least until the end of the month.
In a related development, the Sangguniang Panlungsod passed on first reading a measure that would prohibit residents from escaping locked down areas.
Councilor Renecito Novero, author of the proposed “anti-lockdown escape ordinance” (ALDEO), said this would apply to all residents of the area or building on lockdown and shall cease from being enforceable only when the state of emergency here due to the COVID-19 pandemic shall have been lifted.
Those found guilty of violating the policy – after conviction by a competent court – face fine of up to P2,000 and imprisonment not beyond six months at the discretion of the court.
But a violator may be exempted from the penalty by opting to render community service in the barangay where he or she person resides for a period of three months at four hours per day excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, to commence immediately after promulgation of sentence.
Novero said failure to render community service but without justifiable cause has failed to undertake and complete the same shall be liable to pay the fine and or serve full term of imprisonment./PN
