By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental is still in “good shape” despite OCTA Research’s recent classification of the province as an area of concern, assured provincial administrator Rayfrando Diaz yesterday.

According to Diaz, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has made the recommendation to retain Negros Occidental’s modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status as the overall infection rate in the province is slowing down.

He said even the hospital chiefs are in agreement that there is no alarm in the COVID-19 cases in the province.

“We’re still good. There’s nothing to worry about. Negros Occidental is still in good shape,” Diaz said.

He further pointed out that OCTA Research team is only relying on the data, while the provincial government is fully aware of the true situation.

“The number of cases is dropping, and we know what’s happening on the ground. I don’t know what OCTA is referring to,” he added.

Aside from Negros Occidental, OCTA Research team also categorized National Capital Region, Davao del Sur, Quezon, Pampanga, Bulacan, Misamis Oriental, and Western Samar as areas of concern.

The OCTA Research team is composed of experts from the University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas and Providence College in the United States. /DGB, WDJ