ILOILO CITY - The cities of Iloilo and Bacolod have closed their borders anew due to the continued rise in the cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Western Visayas region.
On Sunday, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas announced the suspension of travel for all persons between the two cities starting Monday, July 27.
The decision was made after the consultation meeting attended by the members of the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force and COVID-19 Team of Iloilo City regarding the increase of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Bacolod City.
Treñas also said the move is part of the proactive measures of Iloilo City to protect its residents.
The movement of goods and shipment of cargo, however, will remain unhampered, Treñas added.
This is the second time that travel between the two cities was closed to prevent the spread of the disease.
Travel between the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod was suspended last week but the ban was lifted immediately to allow residents to go back to their hometowns.
Western Visayas has a total of 1,092 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 56 new cases recorded Sunday.
Of this number, 466 are active cases, while 610 have recovered and 16 have died.