Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson again called on Negrenses to strictly observe COVID-19 health protocols amid the threat of the highly contagious and deadly Delta variant.
Lacson said Negros Occidental will never be ready enough for a Delta variant outbreak that is why “we just really hope that we can prevent it.”
“That is why we’re still calling on people to follow the minimum requirements, which is face mask, face shield, distancing, avoid gatherings, avoid leisure travels,” he said.
All those entering the province are also required to have negative COVID-19 test results, he said.
Lacson said he has not issued any order preventing unvaccinated residents from leaving their homes.
They will just wait for instructions from the national government, he said.
In Bacolod City strict border controls and massive vaccination drives are also being undertaken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the entry of the Delta variant, City Administrator Em Ang said.
She noted that with more and more Bacolod residents being vaccinated COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospital occupancy have dropped in the city.
That is the result of prioritizing vulnerable groups, she said.
They will continue to practice granular lockdowns in specific COVID-hit areas, as a hard lockdown of the entire city would hurt the economy, Ang said.*