INBOUND TRAVEL. Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas on Thursday (July 22, 2021) upon the recommendation of the Covid-19 team now requires a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for travelers from Cebu and National Capital Region. The order that takes effect immediately seeks to slow down the surge in cases, stop the further spread of the variant, buy time for the health system to cope, and protect more lives. (File photo by Arnold Almacen/CMO)
ILOILO CITY – Travelers from the National Capital Region (NCR) and Cebu bound to this highly urbanized city are required to present a negative result of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test taken three days before departure as a travel prerequisite in obtaining the Safe, Swift and Smart Passage (S-PaSS) System.
“Confirmed positive cases are often recorded with those who have travel history or those who have recently returned from non-essential travels or purposely for leisure outside Iloilo City,” said Mayor Jerry P. Treñas in Executive Order (EO) No. 63 which he signed on July 21 and released to media on Thursday.
The new order amended EO 62 that makes inbound travel to this city exclusive to authorized persons outside of residence (APORs), returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), and returning city residents for essential purposes other than those coming from Panay and Negros Occidental.
The mayor said that proactive measures such as border restrictions are "vital and quintessential" due to the detection of the Delta variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Pandan, Antique.
It is also needed to slow down the surge in cases, stop the further spread of the variant, buy time for the health system to cope, and protect more lives, he added.
The Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD) in its regional Covid-19 bulletin showed that the city has 71 new cases on Thursday bringing its total active cases to 1,591, with 11,067 total recoveries and 352 deaths. (PNA)
