Travel between Negros and Panay may be limited to Authorized Persons Outside Residence and essential travel, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said Sunday, April 11.
Leonardia said he was informed by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas that he and Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. are proposing the move for the protection of Western Visayas residents with the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Treñas suggested that it be a collective decision of the leaders of Western Visayas, Leonardia said.
“We will wait for everybody but Bacolod has already made its stand that we are in favor of that,” Leonardia said.
Treñas said he has discussed the proposal with Leonardia and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and they agreed to it.
A new COVID-19 variant is suspected to be causing the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Western Visayas, Leonardia said.
Western Visayas has recorded 29,833 COVID-19 cases, of which 3,146 are active cases, the Department of Health reported today.
Negros Occidental has the most number of active cases at 1,317 followed by Bacolod City with 456, Antique – 389, Iloilo province – 366, Iloilo City – 332, Aklan – 201, Capiz -78 and Guimaras -7, the DOH said.*