Friday, April 24, 2020
BY CARLA P. GOMEZ

Life will not return to normal in Negros Occidental by April 30, for the rest of the year we will be in some sort of quarantine because we have to protect our people from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), former Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez said yesterday.

The Enhanced Community Quarantine in Negros Occidental was set to end on April 30 but Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson appears inclined to extend it.

Even without the new COVID-19 cases in the province, ECQ would mostly likely continue, Lacson said last night.

The Department of Health last night and Monday announced three new COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental, bringing the total to four.

Benitez, a Negros Occidental provincial government consultant, said the virus will not disappear by April 30 with more than 2.6 million persons hit by COVID-19 worldwide.

“It will be a long time before we can return to our normal daily lives, we are still waiting for a vaccine versus COVID-19, that could take years,” he said.

The governor has said the extension of the ECQ is likely, whether it will be in another form will be based on conditions in the towns and cities of the province, Benitez said.

If there are no new COVID-19 cases in two weeks, Benitez said, then a downgrade on the ECQ could be considered.

Several other factors will have to be considered, he said, adding that health experts and stakeholders will be consulted in any adjustment made.

“It is very important to balance safeguarding lives and safeguarding livelihood,” France Mae Llamas of the Provincial Incident Management team said.

A draft on a transition is being drawn up, she said.

The Bacolod City government has yet to announce whether it will extend its ECQ or not.*