The City government has facilitated the quarantine of 52 Bacolodnon LSIs (locally stranded individuals) from Manila, who arrived at the BREDCO Port last night Tuesday, 28 July, 2020 around 7 p.m., a press release from Bacolod City PIO said.
Councilor Cindy Rojas said the 52 Bacolodnon LSIs were among the 455 passengers who arrived this evening on board St. Michael of Archangel of 2GO.
Of the remaining arrivals, 400 are residents of the various LGUs in Negros Occidental, while three are Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APORs) from the PNP.
These LSIs were given free sea passage back to Bacolod through Malacañang’s “Hatid Probinsiya” initiative.
The “Hatid Tulong” program is a government initiative to provide transportation intended to help stranded individuals affected by COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions to return to their provinces.
Attending to the Bacolodnon LSIs upon their disembarkation were Rojas, representatives of the City Mayor’s Office (CMO), City Health Office (CHO), City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), General Services Office (GSO), Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
CDRRMO personnel immediately disinfected their bags and luggage upon disembarkation.
The Bacolodnon LSIs were picked up by two buses of the city government, and immediately brought to one of the quarantine facilities of the city.
Since they arrived late this evening, all the “Hatid Tulong” beneficiaries will be subjected to a swab test for COVID-19 today.
They will be sent home as soon as their negative RT-PCR test results are released. If this happens before they finish the mandatory 14-day quarantine at the city’s facility, they will be required to finish the remainder of that quarantine period under strict home quarantine.
DILG secretary Eduardo Año had said that LSIs without plane or ship bookings are put on the priority list under the “Hatid Tulong initiative.*/CITY PIO
