The Provincial Inter Agency Task Force of Negros Oriental reported yesterday, Dec. 3, that there are a total of 72 frontliners infected by the COVID-19 virus.
Guihulngan City has the highest number of infected frontliners with 21, since the start of the pandemic.
These include 11 members of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, nine health workers, and one member of the Bureau of Fire Protection.
Bayawan City has six health workers infected, mostly nurses in health centers.
Dumaguete and the towns of Mabinay and Bacong each have three frontliners infected. Ayungon, La Libertad, Sta. Catalina, and Sibulan each have two frontliners affected, and one health worker each in Basay and Siaton.
Also included in the list of infected frontliners, as per the local IATF, are 22 soldiers from Camp Leon Kilat of the Philippine Army, who were assigned in Cebu province to help in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease in July and were found positive when they returned to their camp in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental.
Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Liland Estacion, said yesterday that the provincial IATF had passed a resolution requiring residents to wear face masks and face shields when going out of their homes.
Estacion also said those 16 years old and below and 65 years old and above are not allowed to go out of their homes. She discouraged the holding of events, and if small family gatherings will ever be held, these should be in open spaces.
The IATF also noticed a continued rise in positive cases, particularly in Dumaguete City, that has 31 active cases, as of Dec. 3.
The Philippine Coast Guard in Dumaguete, headed by Lt. Commander Jansen Benjamin, said they will strengthen their watch over passengers arriving from Manila and Mindanao via RoRo vessels.
Benjamin said Dumaguete is the gateway of Mindanao to the Negros Island. The PCG requires passengers to secure letter of acceptance from the local government unit where they intend to stay in Negros Oriental.
As of Dec. 3, the province of Negros Oriental has 665 COVID cases. There are 93 active cases, 19 deaths, and 553 recoveries.
VALENCIA SEALED OFF
Valencia town, meanwhile, was placed on 14-day lockdown since Dec. 1, due to the increasing number of COVID positive cases and the failure of some residents to follow social distancing during an event last week.
Estacion said the local IATF received reports that during the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the town plaza last week, a lot of people gathered and the social distancing protocol was not observed. This prompted the task force to implement the lockdown.
Visitors and locally stranded individuals will not be allowed entry to the town while the lockdown is in effect, but residents can carry on with their usual transactions as long as they follow health and safety protocols.
Valencia has five active cases, four of them in the past two days, the PHO said.
As of Dec. 2, Dumaguete City has 36 active cases, Bayawan 13, Sta. Catalina has 8, Tanjay City with 6, La Libertad has 5, and Bais and Guihulngan with 4 active cases each. – ML
