MERLINDA A. PEDROSA, TERESA D. ELLERA
August 26, 2020

THE City Government of Bacolod and the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental will push through with the mass testing for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on August 28 to 31.

An advisory from the Bacolod City Mayor's Office released Wednesday, August 26, stated that 5,000 Bacolod residents who meet Department of Health (DOH) guidelines will be swabbed.

The barangays will handle the initial identification and it will be confirmed by the City Health Office (CHO).

The "timeout no movement" period is from August 28 to 31, 2020. During these four days, everyone shall be required to stay home. Only those who will be granted exemption can move around the city, exit from the city, or enter the city.

An executive order will be issued Thursday, August 27, on who will be covered by this exemption as well as businesses that will be allowed to open, as they are still waiting for the resolution of the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) approving the four-day lockdown, which resolution is forthcoming, per media announcement of Provincial Consultant Alfredo Benitez, organizer of this mass testing program for the province and city.

The Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City have united to hold a "timeout weekend" from August 28 to 31 to arrest the Covid-19 by mass testing 10,000 individuals with flu-like symptoms and close contacts of positive patients.

The plan will be implemented in phases, with Bacolod City taking the lead on August 28 to 29 where 5,000 individuals will be swabbed, followed by Silay City, Talisay City, Bago City and Murcia from August 30 to 31 where the other 5,000 individuals will also be swabbed.

The swab tests will be free, as the required amount pegged at P35 million will come from the National Government through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

For his part, former Third District representative and Provincial Consultant Alfredo Benitez assured the approval of the Regional and National Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases of the "Timeout Weekend" to be implemented from August 28 to 31.

Benitez said the plan will push through in implementing a lockdown in Bacolod City on August 28 to 29 and in Murcia, Silay, Talisay and Bago City on August 30 to 31.

In other local government units, mass testing will follow depending on the individual situation of the LGUs.

Benitez said that the regional IATF has already prepared a resolution for the "timeout weekend" and that the national IATF also has the assurance with the arrival Thursday, August 27, of Secretary Roy Cimatu, Secretary Carlito Galvez and Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Mike Dino.

Benitez said that Dino has also offered a laboratory in Cebu, if needed, for the mass testing during the timeout weekend and that he has already talked to Senator Richard Gordon for the Philhealth coverage of the Red Cross Lab.

"So far, we are almost assured of the capacity to hit the 10,000 target for mass testing," Benitez said.

He also revealed the budgetary requirement of P35 million for the timeout weekend.

"The only way to see the enemy which is the virus is to test that's why we will hold the mass testing to contain its transmission," Benitez said.