Negros Occidental execs to ask IATF-EID to place province under GCQ

BACOLOD CITY –– Officials of Negros Occidental are asking the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to place the province under the more stringent general community quarantine (GCQ) to curb the surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

The move was made during a meeting Friday with the mayor presided by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson after an all-time high of 317 COVID-19 cases in a single day on Thursday.

“We will ask for Negros Occidental to be placed under GCQ for two weeks,” he said.

Negros Occidental, which is under MGCQ, has 742 COVID-19 active cases as of Thursday.

The mayors also agreed to implement a common curfew from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. in the province.

The mayors also agreed to appeal to the IATF-EID for Negros Occidental to test passengers for COVID-19 and be quarantined until their negative results are out.

The IATD-EID has not responded to a previous request of Lacson.

“Maybe if all the mayors sign the appeal, we will get a favorable reply,” Lacson said.

“We will forward to the regional IATF our intention here in Negros, and we will wait for their advice,” he added.

Placing the province under GCQ will mean fewer people allowed at public gatherings and in public transportation.

The decision of the Negros Occidental officials does not cover Bacolod City that is highly urbanized.

Lacson said he would inform Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia of their decision because it would be ideal for them to be under the same quarantine level.

There has also been a surge in COVID-19 cases in Bacolod City, which Leonardia described as alarming.

LZB