Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson will issue an executive order to extend the community restriction in the province after it maintains its Alert Level 3 classification until Feb. 15.
Lacson said that despite the de-escalation of the alert status of Metro Manila and seven areas starting Feb. 1, passengers coming from these places will still be required to present nonreactive antigen test or negative RT-PCR results before boarding the plane bound for Bacolod-Silay Airport.
He said that passengers are given a choice to either present a RAT or RT-PCR, since the only difference is the number of hours that either test is considered valid. The antigen test is valid for 14 hours, while the RT-PCR can be used up to 72 hours.
In case the passengers cannot afford the test, Lacson said they have to manifest in their safe travel pass application that they are willing to be tested upon arrival at the airport, or seaport.
“I just like to continue to observe the status quo. Aside from the National Capital Region, there also areas still on Alert Level 3, like Laguna and Batangas, so I just like to keep this protocol. Let’s just observe what will happen next in the NCR,” he added.
On the business sector’s request to activate the Provincial Price Monitoring Council following a series of increases in the prices of basic commodities, Lacson said the Council has been activated since last month, and there should be an automatic freeze in the prices of basic commodities, with the country still under a state of calamity because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the Department of Trade and Industry should look into this concern.
Under Proclamation 1218, President Rodrigo Duterte extended the validity of the state of calamity until Sept. 12, 2022, due to the pandemic.
“The prices of commodities last month should be observed to determine the increase since there are factors to consider in the increase of the prices of commodities,” Lacson said, like the continual hike in the costs of oil and petroleum products.
Meanwhile, the governor noted that the province is still experiencing triple digits of daily COVID cases because of the more contagious variant. Negros Occidental has more than 3,000 active cases at this time, and he stressed the need to strictly comply with the protocols to stem the further spread of the infection.
He advised those experiencing flu symptoms to subject themselves to tests so that they can isolate and prevent the spread of the virus. |MML
