Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Wednesday the use of face masks will still be required during transactions inside the Capitol offices as the province remains under the Covid-19 Alert Level 2.

“In my executive order, I will specifically say that in all dealings inside a provincial government building, face mask is mandatory. Alert Level 2 will tell us to continue to be vigilant,” Lacson told reporters.

At this alert level, reasonable restrictions may be imposed by the local government units (LGUs), which should not be stricter than those prescribed under higher alert levels.

The governor acknowledged that the national government is allowing the voluntary use of face masks indoors, but there should be limitations, particularly for persons with comorbidities and senior citizens.

“(With) the local autonomy of the LGUs, we can do that (referring to the mandatory use of face mask in provincial government buildings),” he said.

Lacson said in the past three days, Covid-19 cases have been going down after a period when these have been increasing as he confirmed that the number of Covid-19 patients admitted at the Cadiz District Hospital is also higher now compared to last month.

“But then again the numbers are going up and then going down. Definitely, there are more patients now in Cadiz District Hospital because of Covid-19,” he said.

“What’s the effect of Alert Level 2? It reminds us that Covid-19 is very much around,” he added.

As of Nov. 1, Negros Occidental has 140 active Covid-19 cases, the Provincial Incident Management Team data showed. (PNA)