NEGROS Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer expressed apprehension over the resumption of seaports and airport operations.
“In every flight, there is not less than 150 passengers. What will we do with them? Will we treat all of them as persons under monitoring?” Ferrer said.
He said there are proposed protocols which are however, very expensive to implement.
Along with Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and former representative Alfredo Benitez, we discussed to require them to submit to a swab test, he added.
“Waiting for the result of the tests will last for three hours. We will still look for a holding area for all of them. If it turns out negative then they will be allowed to go home. But who will pay the tests as it costs up to P1,300? It is an additional burden to incoming passengers,” the vice-governor pointed out.
“We are also looking at just monitoring and home quarantine,” he added.
“That’s just the airport. How about if the sea ports open too?” Ferrer said.
Ferrer added that all positive cases of Covid-19 recorded in the province came from outside Negros Occidental.
“We are mandated to take care of them because they are our residents,” Ferrer said.