Bacolod eyes to retain swab test among travelers

By Glazyl Y. Masculino and Francis Allan L. Angelo

 

BACOLOD City – The city government of Bacolod is planning to retain the requirement of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for travelers here.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia, in a media interview on Monday, said that they would like to insist on the RT-PCR test, if they will be allowed by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

Based on the IATF’s latest decision on the travel guidelines, testing will “not be mandatory” for travelers, unless the local government of destination will require testing as a requirement prior to travel, and such shall be limited to RT-PCR test.

Also, no traveler shall be required to undergo quarantine unless they exhibit symptoms upon arrival at the place of destination.

Leonardia said that during the IATF’s consultation with the different leagues composed of city and municipal mayors, they were insisting that local governments should be given a leeway to have discretion on the swab testing, despite the uniformed travel protocols.

“We’ve gone through very difficult times and a very traumatic experience, we don’t want that to happen again,” Leonardia said, referring to the time when Bacolod suffered a spike in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases for a few months last year.

Leonardia noted that maintaining the RT-PCR test among travelers entering the city is one of the steps they believe would ensure that what occurred last year won’t be happening again.

“Let us face it, COVID cases in Bacolod has really dropped significantly and substantially, thus, ang concern and bantayan naton ang pumuluyo na basi mag salig bala,” the mayor said, as he stressed that there’s no room for complacency amid the pandemic.

As of February 28, Bacolod has a total of 5,827 COVID cases, including 5,575 recoveries, 188 deaths, and 66 active cases, based on the data from the City Health Office (CHO).

Leonardia issued an Executive Order last Sunday, extending the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) here from March 1 to 31, 2021.

In Iloilo City, the local Covid-19 task force was still deliberating on its new rules on authorized persons outside residence, returning overseas Filipinos, and locally-stranded individuals who will arrive in the city.

Task force spokesperson Jeck Conlu said they are awaiting the final rules which will be issued via an executive order by Mayor Jerry Trenas.

Conlu said while they are inclined to impose RT-PCR testing on travelers, they might also adopt the unified guidelines set by the IATF.