By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The municipal government of Don Salvador Benedicto (DSB) in Negros Occidental will be implementing stricter protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 effective January next year.

Mayor Marxlene Dela Cruz said he will issue an executive order that will ban the entry of unvaccinated vendors in its seven public markets.

He said they will enclose the markets and implement a “one entrance, one exit policy,” adding they want everyone to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

“It is unfair that those who are unvaccinated get the same privileges as those who are vaccinated as mandated by the government,” the mayor pointed out.

He calls for understanding but he has to implement what needs to be implemented as it is for the good of everyone especially to protect them from the highly infectious COVID-19.

Dela Cruz also said effective January 2022 he will not renew the contracts of job order employees of the municipal government who are unvaccinated.

A total of 98 percent of town employees are now vaccinated and currently, DSB has no more active COVID-19 cases.

“We remain vigilant because the virus is still there,” the mayor added./DGB, WDJ