THE Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI), which operates Ceres Liner passenger buses, clarified Tuesday, January 18, that passengers within Negros Occidental are not covered by the "no vaccines, no ride" policy.

VTI Media relations officer Jade Seballos said that passengers originating from Negros Oriental and other areas of the country placed under Alert Level 3 in terms of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) transmission are the ones covered by the policy.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) reminded that the policy only takes effect while Alert Level 3 is implemented to stem the surging cases of Covid-19, particularly with the spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant of Sars-Cov-2 that causes the disease.

Seballos also said that based on the executive order issued by Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, inbound travelers are required to secure reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) negative test result taken 72 hours prior to travel.

This is also necessary before their application for Safe, Swift and Smart Passage (S-Pass) is approved.

The "no vaccination, no ride" directive of the agency also took effect at the Bacolod-Silay Airport in SIlay City, Negros Occidental, on January 17.

All domestic airlines, operating on scheduled and non-scheduled services, to and from the National Capital Region, while on Alert Level 3, or higher, will cater only to fully vaccinated passengers, unless otherwise exempted, the Civil Aeronautics Board, in its issued advisory, said.

Exempted are persons with medical conditions that prevent full Covid-19 vaccination, and those who will procure essential goods and services, as evidenced by duly signed medical certificate, and other appropriate proof to support and justify such travel, it added.