BY GLENDA TAYONA AND DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
ILOILO City – Western Visayans fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will soon have a “smoother” travel within the country. Local chief executives have thumbed up new protocols set by the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF).
Fully vaccinated individuals need not present reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results if they travel within the country, only their vaccination card for interzonal travel as well as for intrazonal movement.
Dr. Jocelyn Te, medical officer of the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6, said the whole region would adhere to the newest guidelines even if herd immunity is not yet achieved.
According to the NIATF, an individual shall be considered fully vaccinated 15 days after getting the second dose of a two-dose vaccine or 15 days after getting a single-dose vaccine.
The vaccine administered to the individual has to be in the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) list of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or in the Emergency Use Listing of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Travelers, however, still have to undergo health and exposure screening upon arrival at the local government unit of destination.
In Iloilo City, Mayor Jerry Treñas said he would issue an executive order enforcing the NIATF guidelines.
In Negros Occidental, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson regarded the new protocols positively, stating that it would further entice the public to get vaccinated.
However, he also hoped that unscrupulous people won’t resort to faking vaccination cards.
“With this [new] policy it will be comfortable now for fully vaccinated individuals to travel,” Lacson said.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said the presentation of a COVID-19 domestic vaccination card duly issued by a legitimate vaccinating establishment or certificate of quarantine completion showing the holder’s vaccination status as may be issued by the Bureau of Quarantine, whichever is applicable, shall be sufficient alternatives to any testing requirement (before travel or upon arrival) which the local government unit of destination may require.
Meanwhile, fully vaccinated persons who happen to be a close contact of a confirmed COVID case will undergo a shortened – seven days – quarantine period.
Intrazonal movement of fully vaccinated senior citizens within the areas under the general community quarantine and modified GCQ imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic “shall continue to be allowed.”
Intrazonal travel is the movement of people, goods and services between localities under the same community quarantine classification, without transiting through an area placed under a different classification.
For interzonal travel allowed under amended “pertinent resolutions” of the IATF and provisions of the Omnibus Guidelines on the community quarantine implementation, Roque said the presentation of vaccination card “shall be sufficient alternatives” for any testing requirement which the local government of destination may require.
Interzonal travel is the movement of people, goods and services across areas placed under different community quarantine classifications.
As of July 4, a total of 405,699 people in Western Visayas already received their first dose of vaccines against COVID-19 out of the 5,509,382 master-listed individuals under Priority Group A, data from the DOH-6 showed.
Of the figure, 267,489 received China’s CoronaVac, 133,342 got AstraZeneca while 4,868 had Pfizer for their first dose.
To break down per sub priority category, 112,398 of those who got their first dose belonged to A1 (frontline healthcare workers); 134,606 from A2 (senior citizens); 139,873 from A3 (adult with co-morbidities); 17,536 from A4 (frontline economic workers); 1,077 from A5 (indigent population); and 209 were subject for validation.
So far, 126,857 Western Visayans have completed their two doses of vaccination.
As to the cases, Western Visayas has been classified by the DOH-6 as “low risk” area for COVID-19, having a 6.28 percent average daily attack rate and negative 24 percent two-week growth rate./PN
