The Department of Health in Western Visayas has raised the classification of Negros Occidental to Alert Level 3 with moderate risk transmission.
However, the Alert Level 2 status of Negros Occidental was not elevated to AL3 by the national Inter-Agency Task Force on Wednesday, January 12.
The active COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental increased from 416 on Tuesday to 506 on Wednesday, the Provincial Incident Management Team said.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson’s executive order reducing flights and sea vessels’ passenger capacity has reduced the number of travelers to Negros Occidental by more than 50 percent.
This was imposed amidst the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the province, and incoming passengers testing positive for the virus, he said.
Negros Occidental now requires incoming passengers from areas under Alert Level 3 to submit negative RT-PCR test results prior to arrival in the province.
Diaz said while the COVID-19 cases are rising, there has been no occupancy surge at the Cadiz City District Hospital, the designated facility for coronavirus patients.
He said the facility that has the capacity for 98 patients had 12 occupants on Monday, eight of whom were positive for the virus and four were suspected cases.
The Silay Healing Center had 214 occupants on Wednesday, 164 of whom were COVID-19 positive, 19 antigen reactive, and the rest were close contacts, Diaz said.
The Cadiz Healing Center had 30 occupants, 24 of whom were COVID-19 positive cases, he added.
Diaz said he hopes and prays that with the preemptive measures implemented by the provincial government the COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental will not further rise.
He urged public to avoid travelling to prevent the spread of the virus.
Under a pandemic travel protocols can be changed, flights can be cancelled and certain areas can be locked down any time, Diaz said.
The provincial government this week has been administering Moderna booster shots on its employees to protect them from the COVID-19 Omicron variant, he said.*