2 Negros Occidental towns declared ‘free’ from coronavirus

BACOLOD City – The towns of San Enrique and Hinoba- an i n southern Negros Occidental are now free from coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID- 19), according to the Provincial Health Office.

So f ar, t hey were t he only municipalities among all the 31 local government units ( LGUs), i ncluding 19 municipalities and 12 component cities i n the province with zero active cases.

As early as Oct. 14, San Enrique, some 38 kilometers from Bacolod, announced that all of its 53 confirmed cases have recovered.

“I want t o recognize the efforts of our f ront- l i ners a nd t he s t r ong i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f our policies under t he leadership of Mayor Jilson Tubil l a r a , ” C o u n c i l o r Koy Debulgado said i n a

Facebook post.

H i n o b a - a n , t h e province’s southernmost town, reported that all its 39 patients survived the illness.

Councilor Jason Tupas, chairman of the Municipal Council’s Committee on Health, c r e di t e d s uch a c h i e v e ment t o t h e “sacrificial efforts of ( the) brave front- liners, relentless border control, s t rong community participation, and effective policy- making and implementation.”

Earlier, Toboso town in the north was also reported to be COVID- free but based on the latest data, it has three new active cases.

A s o f Oct o b e r 2 1 , Negros Occidental has 4,099 confirmed cases, including 2,862 recoveries; 1,139 active cases; and 98 mortalities.

With a report