BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Evelio Leonardia here issued Executive Order (EO) No. 17 Sunday limiting mass gatherings and other activities in order to mitigate the prevalent rebound and spike of COVID-19 infections in this city.
Leonardia in the order said that while the city is technically classified under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) this month, based on data and statistics that were registered during most parts last month, the past two weeks, however, had recorded higher figures for new COVID cases per day that should cause great alarm for everyone.
Leonardia said facts and scientific studies supported by empirical data have established that mass gatherings can be an effective channel of transmitting and spreading infections like COVID-19 among the population.
He cited in the order that Emergency Operations Center (EOC) records showed that from March 23 to March 29, the city was experiencing an average positivity rate of 17 percent in reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests administered while private hospitals’ capacity utilization rate for COVID beds increased by 41.48 percent and 13.48 percent at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), a public and local government hospital here.
Bacolod City continues to experience an increasing spike in COVID-19 infections that, as of April 3, there have been a total of 273 active cases over the last two weeks, Leonardia added.
The mayor here stated in the order that dine-in restaurants, fast food, and food retail establishments, including those in supermarkets, grocery stores, and food preparation establishments, should be at a maximum of 30 percent.
Barber shops, salons, and other personal care service establishments, church and religious gatherings for Mass, prayers, worship services, and similar activities, and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) events shall be limited
to essential business gatherings only at 30 percent of the seating and venue capacity, Leonardia said.
Leonardia also said that video conference is, however, preferably advised for such conduct of meetings and conferences.
He said that at least for the month of April, all government and private offices are strongly advised to implement a skeletal work force system and alternative work arrangements to reduce the number of employees working on-site at these offices at any one time.