Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is issuing an executive order this week that will remove or reduce curfew hours in Negros Occidental, which is currently under COVID-19 Alert Level 2.
Negros Occidental was classified as a low risk area for COVID-19 under Alert Level 2 by the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday, November 8.
The National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIAF) has also placed the province under Alert Level 2 until November 14.
The COVID-19 average daily attack rate in Negros Occidental was 5.37 percent from October 8 to 21 and dropped to 2.94 percent from October 22 to November 4, the DOH said.
Lacson said if he sees that the majority of the local chief executives are in favor, “we may shorten the curfew hours or we may totally stop the curfew hours.”
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said Bacolod will have to wait for its new quarantine status on November 15 before considering the lifting or reducing of curfew hours in the city.
The NIATF has placed Bacolod City under Alert Level 4 until November 14, which remains in place despite the DOH classifying the city as a low risk area under Alert Level 2 on Monday.
The COVID-19 average daily attack rate in Bacolod City was 17.02 percent from October 8 to 21 and dropped to 6.14 percent from October 22 to November 4, the DOH said
Bacolold Councilor Archie Baribar said the city officials have not discussed the lifting or reducing of curfew hours yet.
However, in their discussions among the councilors they have said that if protocol allows it, curfew should be lifted because it has an economic impact on the city, he added.
“We don’t want to burden our people, we want them to go back to normal lives as soon as possible,” Baribar said.*