By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday advised the locally stranded individuals (LSIs) who are planning to go home for the holidays to return home early.

According to Lacson, LSIs who are planning to spend Christmas day in the province are advised to return home not later than December 20, while those who are planning to return for New Year’s Day should do it not later than December 27.

Lacson said the provincial government will continue to impose its strict travel protocols even though Negros Occidental retained its modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status.

Furthermore, the governor said the Bacolod-Silay Airport will be closed on December 24, 25, 31, and January 1, 2021.

LSIs arriving in the province are still required to undergo reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing upon arrival at the Bacolod-Silay Airport and undergo quarantine while awaiting for the results.

Authorized persons outside of residence who frequently travel to the province, meanwhile, are required to file health information forms and company information, present itinerary of travel, and submit at least one negative RT-PCR test result a month./DGB, WDJ