ILOILO City – There will be no moratorium on the return of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) here this December.
“We will continue accepting repatriates this Christmas season as long as everyone will be swabbed,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The mayor issued Executive Order (EO) No. 200 containing the revised guidelines on the management of persons traveling to the metropolis.
For resolving to accept all travelers bound for the city, Treñas cited the significant drop in the number of COVID-19 cases for the entire November.
The Iloilo City Uswag Laboratory, he said, also increased the city’s testing capacity with lesser turnaround time for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results.
But he is wary of a possible surge of infection after the holidays.
“COVID-19 cases are increasing. We have seen an uptrend this December,” Treñas earlier said.
From Dec. 1 to 10, the City Health Office (CHO) reported a total of 147 COVID-19 infections – one case lower from last month’s 148 cases recorded in the same 10-day period.
Treñas underscored the need to manage the arrival of passengers traveling to this city to ensure that the spread of the COVID-19 will be contained, while allowing Individuals to be with their families and enjoy the holiday season.
THE GUIDELINES
Under EO 200, all arriving passengers, including LSIs and ROFs, are required to have a “Notice of Coordination and Acceptance” through the Iloilo City Emergency Operations Center prior to their intended date of travel.
All ROFs and LSIs are mandated to submit themselves to RT-PCR testing immediately upon arrival.
The city government shall provide the means of transport at the airports and seaports to take them to the Jubilee Hall for proper recording and related to their swab testing, among others.
LSIs and ROFs have the option of submitting themselves to quarantine whether at the city’s quarantine facilities, hotels or strict home quarantine.
While waiting for their test results, they must subject themselves to strict isolation.
If they choose to observe strict home quarantine, they will be monitored by the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team.
Food and supplies needed by the LSIs and ROFs while in quarantine facilities shall be their families’ responsibility.
Once the result of the test is negative, he or she shall be allowed to resume normal activities.
Meanwhile, for non-essential travel, tourists shall secure a Notice of Coordination indicating their temporary place of abode within the city, and Letter of Acceptance.
For Authorized Persons Outside Residence or APORS, no RT-PCR nor 14-day quarantine is required.
Other guidelines for APOR and non-essential travel are the same with those for ROFs and LSIs.
For APORs who will be staying here for more than five days, they must indicate their temporary place of abode here and submit themselves to RT-PCR testing.
Once they obtain negative RT-PCT test result, they shall be allowed to resume normal activities.
Violators of the order will face appropriate administrative and/or criminal charges./PN
