BACOLOD CITY – The City of Sipalay in Negros Occidental has prohibited tourism-related and non-essential travels in the southern locality for 15 more days starting Tuesday.
Mayor Maria Gina Lizares issued Executive Order (EO) 2020-034, extending the moratorium until September 15 after the initial ban was imposed on August 14 to 31 based on EO 2020-033.
“All tourists from outside Sipalay shall not be allowed to enter the city,” the mayor said in the directive.
The EO said all pre-booked accommodations of tourists covered by the duration of the moratorium will be rebooked or refunded by the resorts and accommodation establishments depending on the arrangement between the establishments and the clients.
Also not allowed during the 15-day period are visits to relatives and friends, church-related activities, school-related transactions, and house-to-house retail selling.
All travelers coming from or going to any declared high-risk areas shall not be allowed to enter or re-enter Sipalay.
Returning residents from high-risk areas are required to present a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result.
“An RT-PCR result shall be considered valid starting from the date of a swab taken. Thus, the travel to Sipalay must be during the validity of the test result. Those who do not have valid RT-PCR results or have not been tested shall undergo the 14-day mandatory quarantine in the local facility,” Section 1.3 of the EO said.
Authorized persons outside residence (APORs) from private and government agencies/offices will be allowed to enter only if they present a negative RT-PCR test result with the same validity period.
On the other hand, allowed to travel to Sipalay are persons with medical-related transactions, business transactions with open establishments, government-related transactions, delivery of goods and items, non-residents from non-high-risk areas who are employed in Sipalay, and residents who are employed in non-high-risk areas.
Lizares earlier acknowledged that the moratorium will directly have an impact on the flourishing tourism industry of Sipalay, which has become popular among domestic and foreign tourists for its white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, and breathtaking dive sites.
The mayor said the city government and the city’s Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) would assist employees of affected resorts and accommodation establishments.
In EO 2020-023, Lizares had initially allowed the resumption of tourist activities in select areas in Sipalay when Negros Occidental shifted to modified general community quarantine starting June 1. (PNA)
