By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Even though swabbing upon arrival is no longer required under the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) Resolution No. 101, Negros Occidental provincial administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz has repeated his appeals for returning Negrenses to submit themselves for voluntary swabbing upon their arrival in the province.

According to Diaz, swabbing upon arrival has already been proven and effective in controlling COVID-19 cases in the province, pointing out they should not disregard the practice.

“Personally embrace that practice, even if it’s voluntary,” he explained.

He said, by doing so, they are not only protecting themselves but also their family and friends.

The provincial administrator, meanwhile, said there were a lot of arriving Negrenses who have voluntarily underwent swab tests and quarantine upon their arrival at the province’s main entry points.

As of Monday, May 10, Negros Occidental has a total of 13,163 COVID-19 cases, of which 2,367 are tagged as active, 10,499 recoveries and 297 deaths,./DGB, WDJ