BACOLOD CITY — Mayor Evelio Leonardia has again reiterated his call to Bacolodnons to remain compliant with the minimum health protocols, as the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over.
This, after COVID-19 cases here doubled from 16 to 34 on late Wednesday night.
Executive Director Em Legaspi-Ang of the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF), and contact-tracing cluster head Dr. Rosalie Deocampo, said that those infected have a travel history or had attended holiday gatherings.
Last Monday, Leonardia and the EOC-TF members discussed in an emergency Zoom meeting the uptick of COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjacent provinces after the holiday celebrations.
Health authorities also suspect that the increase in daily spread may already be due to the Omicron variant.
In fact, the city has recently logged ifs first Omicron case, but the returning overseas Filipino (ROF) has already recovered from the virus, and such was not considered a local transmission case.
The city government has already resumed its vaccination drive, and is targeting to inoculate the remaining four percent unvaccinated population here.
"Getting vaccinated certainly protects us but we have to be reminded to wear face mask, avoid crowded places and observe social distancing at all times," Leonardia said.
The EOC-TF is intensifying their efforts to inoculate the remaining four percent of Bacolodnons who still failed to avail themselves of the vaccines.
Records showed that the city government already reached 420,000 individuals who are eligible for the vaccination.