Bacolod City enforces new curfew hours to contain COVID-19

BACOLOD CITY – To help bring down the rising number of coronavirus cases here, authorities have set its curfew two hours earlier than the usual time starting Sunday, August 9.

Instead of 10 p.m., Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the curfew will start at 8 p.m. and ends at 4 a.m. the following day.

The measure will last for two weeks or from August 9 to 22.

Violators will pay a fine of P500 or render eight-hours of community service. Non-Bacolod residents will be slapped with a fine of P1,000.

Leonardia said he decided to impose the new curfew based on the recommendation of the City Health Officer and other city officials.

The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on Wednesday approved City Ordinance No. 934 granting the imposition of new curfew hours for not more than two weeks.

Leonardia said Mayor Jerry Treñas also issued an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew in Iloilo City.

“I have been receiving complaints about the new curfew in our (Iloilo) city especially coming from the business sector. I fully understand your plight, but I am asking for your understanding. This is also a tough decision for me, but I choose the lives of many people rather than the income of the city. This is for the greater good of the people,” Treñas said on Facebook.

As of August 7, Western Visayas has 1,839 cases of COVID-19.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), Negros Occidental has the most number of cases in the region at 604, followed by Iloilo province (454), Bacolod City (346), Iloilo City (261), Capiz (85), Guimaras (41), Antique (29), and Aklan (19).

/MUF