Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia is appealing to the public, especially the crowds who gather at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) grounds at night, to continue practicing COVID-19 health protocols.
A lot of people have been gathering in front of the BCGC to enjoy the Christmas decorations and lights, they sometimes forget that they need to practice health protocols because the COVID-19 threat still remains, Leonardia said Wednesday, December 8.
He has asked the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and City Administrator Edward Joseph Cuansing to ensure that the public does not forget to wear their face masks and to continue to practice social distancing, Leonardia said.
The mood now among some people is as if COVID-19 no longer exists, he said.
Leonardia said the city government is also preparing and keeping a close watch amid the threat of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
“It is best to be ready, an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure,” he said.
COVID-19 is not gone, we should not take things for granted, Leonardia added.
He said the massive vaccination drive in Bacolod has helped curb the spread of COVID-19 in the city as seen from the drop in cases.
Em Ang, EOC executive director, said the city government has fully vaccinated close to 70 percent of its target population and hopes to hit 100 percent this month.
They are also getting a huge influx of residents availing of booster shots, she said.
Those who were inoculated with Johnson & Johnson vaccines need to get booster shots after three months, she said.
Those who were vaccinated with other brands can avail of booster shots after six months, Ang added.*