BACOLOD City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran is asking for the cooperation of the Bacolodnons to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and possible entry of Covid-19 Delta variant in the city.
Familiaran, chairperson of Bacolod City Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), said Monday, August 2, that Bacolod City is still under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions (GCQ-HR) and Bacolodnons should follow the health protocols.
He said leisure travel between Panay Island and Bacolod City is no longer allowed, as well as travelers from Panay Island, and Authorized Persons Outside their Residences (Apors) should present a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result.
Familiaran noted that only Apors from government agencies are not required to present a negative RT-PCR test result.
"We should cooperate and always follow the health protocols like the wearing of face masks, face shields, and observing social distance," Familiaran said.
He said that for now, Bacolod City has no record of Covid-19 Delta variant where it is considered more transmissible and more infectious.
The Department of Health earlier announced that two cases of the Delta variant were already detected in Western Visayas.
Familiaran said that Iloilo City will be placed under hard lockdown from August 3, while Cebu City hospitals are also full of Covid-19 patients.
"We don't want that it will happen here so we need the support and cooperation of everybody to fight Covid-19," he said.
As of August 2, Bacolod City has a total of 15,415 Covid-19 cases. Of the number, 13,983 patients have already recovered, 1,303 are still active, and 363 have died.