BACOLOD CITY - Twelve new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported in Negros Occidental, while one was recorded in this city.
Based on the data of the Department of Health (DOH)-6, seven were locally stranded individuals (LSIs), one was an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), while five others were not classified.
The province has a total of 196 cases, as of July 13.
Among the 12 new cases in the province were four bikers in Talisay City, who were reported to have had close contact with a COVID-19 positive patient.
Talisay City Mayor Neil Lizares III, in a statement, said that they were now doing contact tracing on the persons and places these patients may have had contact with, or gone to.
According to him, the city is also preparing to conduct rapid testing on all the families who may have had direct or indirect contact with the patients.
“I am at loss for words right now but I know that we will continue to thrive as we did in the past months,” he said.
Lizares said that the next weeks or months will be more challenging. But he was asking the Talisaynons to stay strong and be committed to their goal which is to win this battle.
He advised his constituents not to panic, and instead encouraged them to be vigilant.
Eight other recent COVID-19 confirmed cases in the province were from the cities of Silay, Himamaylan, and Sipalay, and the towns of Calatrava, Murcia, Cauayan, and Manapla.
Last week, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson announced that the province had a local transmission of the virus, following two COVID-19 confirmed cases infecting an ambulance driver and a rescuer.
Meanwhile, Bacolod has a total of 62 COVID-19 cases, as of July 13.