BACOLOD City – Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez yesterday urged Bacolodnons to follow minimum heath protocols indicated in his Executive Order (EO) No. 33.
“Facemasks shall continue to be worn in indoor private or public establishments, including public transportation by land, air or sea and in outdoor settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained,” read part of the EO.
Facemask is also mandatory in hospitals and medical facilities, according to the EO.
This city remains under coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Alert Level 1 while Negros Occidental was still placed under Alert Level 2.
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) recently issued Resolution No. 6-C listing 26 areas, including Negros Occidental, under Alert Level 2 status from April 15 to 30.
From Jan. 1 to April 24 this year, the city recorded 221 COVID-19 cases with eight deaths, according to Dr. Maria Laarni Pornan, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and concurrent city IATF head.
Of the 221 cases, 52 were recorded in January, 41 in February, 24 in March, and 100 in April.
The fatalities, all unvaccinated, include a seven-year-old, two 40-year-olds, one 53-year-old, and four senior citizens.
Pornan said the criteria for COVID alert status classification include hospital utilization rate, average daily attack rate (ADAR) and vaccination.
Bacolod City has a 11.9 percent hospitalization rate, 161 percent fully vaccinated population, and 0.75 percent ADAR./PN
