GOVERNOR Eugenio Jose Lacson said the mayors in Negros Occidental want the borders with Negros Oriental to remain closed amid the threat of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Lacson, in a press conference Wednesday, January 13, said the mayors were concerned that the Covid-19 cases on the other side of the island is higher than those in Occidental.
Lacson said he got the consensus of the mayors Wednesday during their virtual meeting and that they would immediately inform the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental about the matter.
As of January 12, Negros Oriental has 204 active cases as compared to Negros Occidental with only 104 cases as of January 11.
The governor attributed the recent increase of active cases in the province to the recently concluded holiday celebrations.
Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, in a letter to Lacson, raised the possibility of opening the borders between the two Negros provinces.
Bimbo Miraflor, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Provincial Government, said a meeting is scheduled between members of the Inter- Agency Task Force of the two provinces on Thursday, January 14, in Mabinay, a municipality that borders Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
The meeting was supposed to formulate protocols and procedures if the borders will be re-opened, Miraflor said.
But Lacson said the Provincial Government will not be attending the meeting anymore because of the decision of the mayors.
Miraflor said the business sector in Negros Oriental is pushing for the opening of the borders of the two provinces.
He admitted that Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo is not keen on the idea.
The health sectors in the province also has expressed concern over the proposal as the province has limited quarantine facilities, he added.