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Zambo City suspends inbound commercial flights

By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.

March 29, 2021, 9:53 pm

<p>The Zamboanga City Hall. <em>(PNA file photo)</em></p>

The Zamboanga City Hall. (PNA file photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The local Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has suspended all in-bound commercial flights from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) effective Monday and until further notice.

The suspension came amid the reimposition of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal due to the surge of Covid-19 cases.

The local IATF said that also suspended are the connecting flights from Cebu or Davao whose flights origin are from NAIA, with passengers en-route to this city.

However, the task force said that the hybrid (cargo) flights and outbound passengers and direct flights from Cebu or Davao to this city are not included in the suspension of travel.

Dr. Elmeir Jade Apolinario, Zamboanga Task Force Covid-19 chief implementer, has written all airline companies and properly coordinated with the national Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) regarding the suspension of commercial flights.

Meanwhile, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar issued an executive order for the "interzonal and intrazonal movement of persons" to take effect from April 1 to April 30, "unless otherwise lifted, amended, or superseded".

Specifically, the new E.O. requires all inbound travelers, especially those coming from NCR and other regions, cities, or municipalities where there is a surge in Covid-19 cases, to present their negative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test result together with their valid identification card (ID).

Executive Order 643-2021 also temporarily suspends leisure travel into this city. (PNA)

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