NEGROS Oriental Governor Roel Degamo has issued a new executive order that gave more emphasis on the government’s vaccination program against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Adrian Sedillo, executive director of the province’s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), said the governor issued Executive Order (EO) 38 late Tuesday evening, October 19, after receiving an official communication from the IATF on the alert level system.

Negros Oriental has been placed under Alert Level 4 until October 31, 2021.

EO 38 is adopting the guidelines for the expanded alert level system but these are mostly similar to the guidelines under the modified enhanced community quarantine. One exemption, though, is that vaccinated individuals have more “freedom” as opposed to those who have not yet received the vaccine, said Sedillo.

“The governor is agreeable to this system that is putting emphasis on vaccinated people. It is almost like an incentive for them,” he said.

For instance, a food establishment may be allowed to operate provided certain percentages for indoor and outdoor seating capacities are followed and only vaccinated individuals can be accommodated, Sedillo said.

He also pointed out that employees of establishments and other businesses must be fully vaccinated, otherwise they are prohibited from reporting to work.

Since the alert level system cannot be appealed, Sedillo said the governor was set to meet with the provincial IATF to discuss the strengthening of measures to bring down the number of Covid-19 cases in Negros Oriental. (PNA)