LAOAG CITY – The Department of Foreign Affairs Consular Office in San Nicolas town has tightened its health and safety protocols to curb the further spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) here.
Gov. Matthew Joseph Manotoc confirmed this on Tuesday as he announced that all non-residents who intend to apply for a new passport or renewal in Ilocos Norte are now required to show a negative result of the RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) test before they can be allowed entry in the province.
The governor likewise requested the DFA to decrease the number of applicants to 50 percent of the usual appointment load for their protection.
Earlier, a group of 15 passport applicants from outside Ilocos Norte tested Covid-19 positive at the provincial border, hence, the governor decided to implement some precautionary measures.
The governor said that while the National Capital Region Plus (NCR Plus) is under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), residents from this area will also be denied entry into the province.
To avoid inconvenience, passport applicants who are coming from the NCR Plus and other regions under ECQ may defer or reschedule their passport appointment to a later date.
"Affected applicants may reschedule their appointment through the Passport Online Appointment website: https://passport.gov.ph. Those who were not able to show up for their appointments this week due to the restrictions on entry may send an email to CO San Nicolas at [email protected] to reschedule their appointment,” the DFA Ilocos Norte said in a statement.
Established in May 2018, the DFA Ilocos Norte continues to receive a volume of appointments from outsiders as it has one of the most unfilled appointment schedules. (PNA)
