By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The office of Negros Occidental 3rd district Congressman Francisco “Kiko” Benitez has requested 18,000 Covid-19 test kits in order to boost the district’s supplies as part of the opening of the Metro 3rd Emergency Operations Center.

The said test kits are expected to arrive this week. 

Negros Occidental Board Member Ryan Gamboa said the district’s emergency center will start operating on Monday, September 28, although a soft opening will take place today.

In a meeting called by Benitez earlier on Tuesday, he ordered preparations to be made for the first integrated district-wide Covid-19 Emergency Operations Center in Negros Occidental.

Benitez also said the data gathering guidelines, processing, and analysis in the district should be standardized.

Major General Melquiades Feliciano, deputy implementer of the Inter-Agency Task Force-Visayas, said one of the important things for an Emergency Operations Center to become successful is good coordination in the centralized command center.

The Metro 3rd Emergency Operations Center aims to further help the local towns and cities under the 3rd district in its campaign against COVID-19./DGB, WDJ