This Week in Bacolod (December 13 to 19, 2020)

The Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (NOCPPO) received their operational plans and resources for Christmas and New Year’s Day. According to Police Colonel Romy Palgue, NOCPPO director, the police are expecting a large number of people going to churches and shopping malls even during the current pandemic. In preparation, Palgue asked the cooperation of the public to comply with health protocols and ordered police stations to set up police assistance desks in strategic areas in the province [1].

The resumption of face-to-face classes in the country might push through in 2021, and the City Government of Bacolod and the Department of Education (DepEd) are now preparing school facilities. DepEd officials and Bacolod City Council’s committee on education were instructed to hold a meeting to clarify plans for the resumption of physical classes. The resumption of face-to-face classes is targeted to occur by mid of February 2021 and will begin first with senior high, then junior high, and then elementary students. As for kindergarten pupils, the country is still waiting whether or ot the president will allow them to go back to school.

Since the city’s quarantine facilities are in public schools, the resumption of classes will reduce the number of isolation rooms. According to Councilor Renecity Novero, the bed capacity in quarantine facilities will be reduced to 500; currently, Bacolod has more than 1,000 quarantine facilities [2].

The city of Bacolod will have shorter curfew hours from 11:00 PM to 3:00 AM starting December 16 until December 31, 2020, in line with the holding of simbang gabi in the city. Bacolod Bishop Patrico Buzon requested the change of the current curfew hours of 11:00 PM to 4:00 AM so that they can schedule masses from 3:30 until 5:00 in the morning [3].

Go to Yoorekka for more COVID-19 updates in Bacolod.