The Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) “strongly recommended” the closure of the establishments involved in an event at the Art District in Barangay Mandalagan two weeks ago, after attendees were seen disregarding the minimum health protocols against the coronavirus disease.
In a statement today, November 23, the EOC-TF said: “We admonish the management of the Art District and their respective tenants to strictly adhere to the protocols and standards set by the city of Bacolod, the Local and National IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) pertaining to our coordinated efforts against COVID-19.”
“We strongly recommend closure of the establishments involved in the said incident until further action by concerned offices/agencies,” it stressed.
Earlier, the organizers of the Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference (VIVA ExCon) apologized for the incident and said there was no event at the Art District on November 6.
The organizers said they held an exhibition for the sole purpose of simulating a live opening for video recording for the VIVA ExCon opening on November 8.
They stressed that no invitations were sent out and it was unfortunate that the set attracted the usual Art District crowd and management was not able to control their enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, the EOC-TF statement said they are committed to protect the safety and health of the people of Bacolod City.
“We will continue to conduct dialogs with our stakeholders on the preventive and
precautionary measures to be observed in their respective establishments to highlight everyone’s role in this public health concern,” it added.
The EOC-TF directed and appealed to the public to always observe the minimum health standards and social distancing protocols to minimize the risk of exposure and, mitigate the spread of the disease. “The fight against COVID-19 continues and we should not let our guards down,” it said.*