BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Let Negros Occidental implement its own travel protocols.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson asserted this in a letter to the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 6 recently knocked back the governor’s executive order which required all inbound travelers to undergo swab testing and quarantine.
“(Our) intention (was) noble. However, it (was) not (in line) with the intent of the national government as reflected in IATF Resolution No. 101,” Lacson quoted DILG-6’s review of his EO on uniform travel protocols.
Lacson said while the provincial government intended to fully implement uniform travel protocols, “the unexpected increase of positivity rate in our molecular labs and the rapid surge in coronavirus cases have rendered the province defenseless” from the infections coming from other parts of the country.
“I believe this is imperative to protect our constituents, our local economy and our future as a province,” the governor stressed.
Lacson also emphasized that the provincial government just wanted to prevent the uncontrolled spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases “that is clearly brought by locally stranded individuals, authorized persons outside of residence, and returning overseas Filipinos.”
Last week, Lacson ordered a reimposition of protocols for inbound travelers, particularly swabbing upon entry, in response to the rising number of active COVID-19 cases./PN
