THE City Government of Bacolod will still require the negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results for travelers entering the city.
This was stressed by Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy for medical data and analysis of Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF), on Monday, March 15, after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier announced that they will issue a memorandum circular on the uniform travel protocols for local government units (LGUs).
Sorongon said that as part of the travel guidelines, the city will still require a negative RT-PCR test result upon entry from the point of origin.
"We should not be complacent because there are new variants of Covid-19 like Brazilian, South African and UK," he said.
Sorongon said these new Covid-19 variants are highly contagious and highly transmissible, where an infected person can infect hundreds or thousands of people.
"So we don't want that to happen here in Bacolod and that is the reason why we are still requiring negative RT-PCR test results upon entry from the point of origin," Sorongon said.
He said travelers should also register in S-Pass and StaySafe.Ph applications.
The National Government earlier approved uniform travel protocols for all local government units (LGU), with Covid-19 testing and quarantine for travelers no longer mandatory, unless the LGU will make it a requirement.
Sorongon said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has a provision that as much as they wanted to have a uniform protocol for travelers, it's still up to the LGU if they want to impose the Covid-19 testing.
"But, as far as Bacolod City LGU is concerned, we will continue the Covid-19 testing, especially that there are surges or spike of Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila and in Cebu City, so we should not be complacent because most of the returning residents entering here are from those places. We have already sacrificed for almost a year and we have the vaccine now so please cooperate with us," he said.
Under IATF Resolution 101, travelers will no longer be compelled to go on quarantine unless they exhibit symptoms upon arriving at their destination.
Travelers are also no longer required to secure travel authorities or health certificates.
LGUs are given the option of making Covid-19 testing a requirement before travel. Testing will be limited to RT-PCR tests.
Authorized persons outside residence (Apors) from national government agencies and their attached agencies, on the other hand, must provide their identification card, travel order and travel itinerary.
They must likewise pass symptom-screening at the ports of entry and exit.