ILOILO City – Starting July 24, authorized persons outside residence (APORs), returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and locally stranded individuals (LSIs) from the National Capital Region (NCR) and Cebu must present negative results of their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests performed 72 hours at most prior to their travel.
According to Mayor Jerry Treñas, this requirement is being imposed because many APORs, ROFs and LSIs have been found positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) when swabbed upon entry here.
This is also a precaution against the more virulent Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
“Ma-istrikto kita…masyado gid kahinay ang genome sequencing (being done in Manila to detect the COVID-19 virus variants). It’s two or three months before mag-out. (It would be) unfortunate if the results are out and there are already active Delta COVID-19 cases diri. Basi damo pa gid lamtan. So, we must have protocols place para sa naga-alabot,” said Treñas.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Region 6 officer-in-charge Rizza Moldes also welcomed the adjustment, said the city mayor.
He advised the public, especially those belonging to the vulnerable populations, to be extra careful now as the city is under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
“We are under ECQ because of the Delta variant detected in Pandan, Antique. The Department of Health (DOH) is not certain how many have been infected in Pandan. That is the reason we’re imposing border controls. Let us be reminded that those over 65 and below 18, and those with comorbidities should stay at home during these times,” Treñas added.
The mayor has also yet to issue a statement regarding DOH undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire’s announcement about the detection of Alpha and Beta variants of COVID-19 in the city and province of Iloilo.
On Monday, Treñas issued Executive Order No. 62, prohibiting the travel of persons within Panay Island to lloilo City by way of land, sea and air travel.
Only exempted are those whose purpose is for work; medical needs; accessing government services; transport of goods and/or construction materials; humanitarian purposes; receiving first/second dose of COVID-19 vaccine; ROFs, returning Iloilo City residents and APORs; and residents of Iloilo and Guimaras provinces./PN
