THE Eastern Visayas Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (RIATF) and the Regional Task Force on Covid-19 (RTF) have approved the suspension of the arrival of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) in Northern Samar for a period of 14 days.

The RIATF and RTF, in Joint Resolution 33 that was issued on October 19, granted the request of the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force through Governor Edwin Ongchuan to suspend the arrival of LSIs from October 20 to November 3.

The Provincial IATF made the request following the spike in the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the province.

It said the continuous influx of LSIs and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) "threatens to overwhelm the capacity of quarantine facilities in the province."

The suspension will give way for local government units in Northern Samar to address the needs of LSIs and ROFs currently in the facilities, and the opportunity to strengthen measures to contain local transmission of Covid-19, it said.

Aside from the suspension of the arrival of LSIs, the Provincial IATF has also placed Northern Samar under general community quarantine, while the 23 poblacion barangays of Catarman, the province's capital, have been placed under modified enhanced community quarantine.

As of October 22, Northern Samar has a total of 416 Covid-19 cases after 32 new cases were reported Thursday. Of the 416, 153 have recovered from the disease and two have died. (PR/LMY/SunStar Philippines)