NEW curfew hours in Negros Occidental have been set from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. starting June 1, as the province remains under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) until June 30.
In Executive Order (EO) 21-27 signed on Monday, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson revoked EO 21-22 issued on April 9, which implemented the curfew hours across the province from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Under Lacson’s latest directive, the start of the curfew was moved to an hour later, reducing the duration to only seven hours from the previous eight.
“During which period, no person shall be allowed outside of their residences,” EO 21-27 stated.
Those not bound by the curfew hours are persons in need of emergency services; personnel in cargo vehicles; and authorized persons outside residence with valid work schedules provided that they must show sufficient proof of their identification and work schedule.
Enforcing uniform curfew hours in the province’s 31 local government units aims to contain the local transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections after a surge in cases since early April.
Lacson earlier said he may eventually reduce curfew hours once cases start to decrease.
After active cases went as high as more than 2,224 on May 1, figures eventually went down in the succeeding weeks.
As of May 30, Negros Occidental recorded 1,426 active cases out of the total 15,018 confirmed cases.
There were 13,255 recoveries and 337 deaths.
Bacolod City, the provincial capital, is excluded from the province’s curfew schedule being a highly urbanized city and has maintained its curfew hours from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. (PNA)