The Dumaguete City government is finalizing the guidelines this week to regulate the observance of its charter day and fiesta celebrations on Nov. 24 and 25, respectively, to minimize the risk of transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) as officials discourage large gatherings this year.
City Public Information Officer Dems Rey Demecillo in an interview Monday afternoon said Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo is expected to come up with an executive order any time this week following consultations with the legal office.
Also, the city tourism office, headed by Jacqueline Antonio, is consolidating the final list of possible online activities in line with the fiesta celebration, such as a virtual parade, but all these have to be finalized yet, he said.
On the other hand, residents of this capital are allowed to prepare food during the fiesta celebration but only within the household, he added.
The city has discouraged residents from hosting mass gatherings while other outdoor activities in line with the fiesta celebration will not be held this year.
A similar set of guidelines will also be released by city hall for the Christmas season, Demecillo said.
The province of Negros Oriental, meanwhile, has recorded more recoveries from Covid-19 over the weekend.
Assistant Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Liland Estacion, the incident commander of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, said in a press briefing Monday afternoon that the recoveries have already reached 322 out of the total of 496 cases.
She added, however, that two new deaths were also reported for a total of 14 mortalities.
The province received Sunday 50 swab results from Cebu City, with 49 negative and one positive infection, she said.
As of Monday, there are 160 remaining active cases, Estacion said.
The two new deaths are a 73-year-old-female from Bayawan City, who passed away on Sunday morning at a private hospital here; and a 71-year-old-female from Barangay Sta. Cruz Viejo in Tanjay City who died last Nov. 10 but whose Covid-19 post mortem swab result came a few days later, Estacion said.
The active positive cases are from Guihulngan City – 59, Bayawan City – 26, Sta. Catalina – 22, La Libertad – 11, Siaton, Ayungon, Bacong, Dumaguete with six each, Sibulan with five, Mabinay and Canlaon City, three cases each, Tayasan two, and Zamboanguita, Valencia, Amlan, Tanjay City, and Bais City with one each.
A total of 13,663 swab tests were done in Negros Oriental, with 936 pending in Cebu testing facilities.*PNA
