BY GLAZYL MASCULINO
BACOLOD City – The provincial government of Negros Occidental is against the repatriation of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) on Christmas Day and New Year.
In Resolution No. 84, the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF) in Western Visayas approved the moratorium sought on repatriations in Negros Occidental on Dec. 24, 25, and 31, and Jan. 1, 2021.
The provincial government, in a letter to the RIATF, pointed out that local government units (LGUs) needed to first “decongest, disinfect and prepare quarantine facilities for the incoming batch of LSIs and ROFs.”
As of Dec. 5, the province had a total of 5,888 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – 953 of which were active, 4,804 recovered and 131 dead.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson earlier advised LSIs to go home early for the holidays.
LSIs planning to spend Christmas Day in Negros Occidental should return home not later than Dec. 20.
Those planning to return for New Year’s Day, on the other hand, should do it not later than Dec. 27. Lacson issued the call to avoid the influx of people entering the province and avert COVID-19 transmission.
The provincial government, said Lacson, will continue to impose strict travel protocols even though the province retained its modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status.
LSIs are required to undergo reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test upon arrival at the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City.
They are also mandated to undergo quarantine while waiting for their results.
For authorized persons outside of residence who frequently travel to the province, they 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./PN
