Zamboanga City Hall (PNA file photo)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Children aged three to 11 who are traveling together with their fully vaccinated parents or guardians are required to present reverse transcription-polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test results before being allowed entry into this city.
Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said Friday that the requirement is part of the guidelines set by the local Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) after the lifting of the RT-PCR requirement for inbound travelers here.
“Children three years old and above are required to undergo RT-PCR test (saliva-RT-PCR or nasopharyngeal), within five days of their travel date,” Salazar said.
The requirement of RT-PCR for fully vaccinated inbound travelers was lifted on November 16 after this city was placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) status from the stricter Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) category.
The national IATF-EID placed this city under Alert Level 3 pursuant to Resolution 148-F the body approved on November 13.
Salazar said infants below three years old may travel without a negative RT-PCR test result, provided they are accompanied by fully vaccinated parents or guardians.
The mayor said the children, through their parents or guardians, are required to apply for a Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-Pass) permit, a nationwide policy, for easy and safe travel.
She added that the S-Pass application should be done at least two days before the travel date.
Dr. Elmeir Jade Apolinario, city disaster risk reduction management office chief and local IATF chief implementer, was directed to ensure strict implementation of the guidelines.
Meanwhile, Salazar cited health experts' advice as one of the primary reasons that prompted the city government to lift the mandatory entry requirement of negative RT-PCR test results from fully vaccinated inbound travelers.
Salazar said that health and scientific data showed that fully vaccinated individuals are safe from serious infections, thus experts had recommended that the RT-PCR test requirement may be lifted for fully vaccinated travelers.
“We also listened to the voices of people who for months had requested to open up the borders and to make the swab test non-mandatory,” she said. (PNA)
