NEGROS Occidental will retain its curfew hours and limited capacity among business establishments even as the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) eased the restrictions in National Capital Region (NCR) and surrounding areas, the province's top official said.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that "we will keep our present curfew and capacity limitations."

The governor said there are experts who believe that it is "too early to reduce the alert level in NCR."

Lacson said Negros Occidental will still enforce the 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew.

“We will also implement the 30 percent capacity on all business establishments and religious activities,” he said.

The alert level status in Metro Manila will be downgraded to Alert Level 3 from the current Alert Level 4 beginning October 16, Malacañang announced Wednesday.

This, after the IATF decided to ease restrictions in Metro Manila, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

Metro Manila’s shift to Alert Level 3 came amid the drop in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections in the country’s metropolis.

The relaxation of alert level in Metro Manila will pave the way for the reopening of more businesses.

The Department of Health–Western Visayas Center for Health Development reported yesterday, October 17 that Negros Occidental has 128 additional Covid-19 cases and 152 more for Bacolod City.

As of October 15, Negros Occidental has a total of 5,014 active cases while Bacolod City has 1,960.