The entire Philippines will remain under Alert Level 2 status from December 16 to 31 after two COVID-19 Omicron variant cases were detected in the country, Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles announced Wednesday, December 15.
This means Negros Occidental and Bacolod City will remain under Alert Level 2 despise the drop in their COVID-19 cases lately.
Negros Occidental had 267 active COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and Bacolod City had 233.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson also issued Executive Order 21-58, Series of 2021, on Wednesday extending Alert Level 2 over Negros Occidental until December 31.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is very cautious “because of the threat of Omicron that we see in other countries, territories, and jurisdictions positive for Omicron especially local transmission where cases are increasing. We also don’t know a lot about Omicron yet,” he said in a press briefing.
Two imported cases of Omicron variant were detected from the 48 samples sequenced on December 14, the Department of Health announced Wednesday.
“We are not very confident to open up places for Alert Level 1 because we need to still ramp up our vaccination,” Nograles said.
The government is also being alert in anticipation of the return of thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), he said.
COCKFIGHTING
“The IATF also made a decision to allow the operation of cockpits and traditional cockfighting in areas under Alert Level 2 provided there are no objections from LGUs where the activity may take place,” he added.
Under IATF-EID Resolution No. 154 cockfighting will be allowed in cockpits operating in a maximum 50 percent venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals only.
All onsite workers and employees of these establishments must also be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Betting shall be cashless and shall use technology-based platforms, which means no physical exchange of cash in the cockpit and no verbal placing of bets, he said.
LACSON EO
Lacson in EO-21-58 imposed the same rules previously imposed for Alert Level 2 in Negros Occidental.
The following is the executive order issued by the governor:
