Negros Occidental won’t close borders after Omicron subvariant detected in Iloilo

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson | photo courtesy of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental Facebook page

BACOLOD CITY––Negros Occidental officials will not close the provincial borders after three cases of the highly transmissible Omicron sub-variant were detected in Iloilo.

“We’ll have to observe how it goes,” Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Wednesday, May 18, pointing out that the sub-variant had been detected, not only in Western Visayas, but in other parts of the country as well.

He said COVID-19 admissions in Iloilo hospitals were low, most of which were very mild cases.

“Meantime, we don’t intend to close our borders. I think it’s too early for that. Let’s just do our share and protect ourselves,” Lacson said.

“Right now, there is no reason for large crowds to converge because the campaign period is over,” he added.

Two Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1 cases in Iloilo were locally transmitted,
while the third case involved a returning overseas Filipino, the Department of Health reported Tuesday.

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