BACOLOD CITY - The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has welcomed the decision of the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) to downgrade the alert status here from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2, beginning Feb. 16, 2022.
EOC Executive Director Em Legaspi-Ang said the downgrading of the status here was a recognition of the city government's effective management of COVID-19 cases.
Ang said the IATF decision came following the high vaccination rate in the city, and the significant drop in COVID infections in the last two weeks.
On Feb. 14, Bacolod had 19 new cases, 124 recoveries, and one death.
Of the total 26,955 cases, 925 were active, based on the data from the Department of Health (DOH)-Western Visayas.
The city has also started the vaccination of children aged five to 11 on Feb. 14. The EOC is eyeing to administer 5,000 COVID-19 jabs in the first week of the vaccination drive.
The city was placed under Alert Level 3 last month due to the threat of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 here.
Ang said that the move to Alert Level 2 will also give Bacolodnons the opportunity to see "how well we will manage by relying on business establishments' strict implementation of the minimum health protocols and our collective effort in maintaining prescribed public health safety protocols".
“If we are able to do this, then we are well on our way from crisis mode to recovery mode,” she added.
Ang said that lowering of restrictions will also allow the reopening of more businesses in the city.
Ang said that this will also increase the people's mobility and enable them to engage in earning activities, as well as allow the gradual resumption of activities such as limited face-to-face classes, social and cultural events, sports, shopping, dining out and hassle-free travel.