THE Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF) has required those who need to secure medical certificates for a "travel authority" to register on the Bacolod Contact Tracing (BaCTrac) System starting October 26.

The EOC-TF's new order was already forwarded to the City Health Office.

The EOC-TF is the central body in Bacolod that collects and harmonizes relevant data that are transformed into policies against coronavirus disease (Covid-19.)

CHO officer-in-charge Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr. also issued Memo Order 102320-01 that discourages chest X-ray as a requirement for the medical certificate, as it does not detect Covid.

In a statement Monday, October 26, Miraflor said a health declaration and an

evaluation of an attending CHO medical officer in Bacolod would suffice for the issuance of the medical certificate.

"What's important is their history of travel and exposure, which BacTrac would help establish," he said.

Miraflor noted that all other requirements for travel would be dependent on the receiving local government unit.

"We cannot burden Bacolodnons with the cost of X-ray, Rapid Test, or Swab Test," Miraflor said.

He said the chest X-ray may only be required in special cases that an attending CHO physician may see fit.