Guv bares protocols for sea, airport operations

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the number of incoming passengers in seaports shall be based on the available quarantine rooms determined by the Provincial Health Office.

This is among the protocols set by the governor for the resumption of sea and airport operation on June 1, 2020.

Lacson outlined the protocols in a letter to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The governor also said all incoming passengers shall agree to stay at designated quarantine facilities until they are released based on results of their Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests.

The holding time of passengers shall be from one to two days at the fully operational Molecular Laboratory at Teresita Locsin Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH).

Tickets for airlines and sea vessels shall be sold only to persons listed on the Certificate of Acceptance issued by the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental.

Priority shall be given to passengers during the first phase of the “new normal,” such as returning residents of the province, and those working in essential businesses operating during the community quarantine.

Certificates of Acceptance shall be single use, date specific, and shall be granted once per month, except for emergency reasons.

Incoming passengers are also required to fill-up a tourist information and health declaration card before leaving the airport or seaport terminals.

The forms will be collected at the Tourist Information Counter and will be encoded by Negros Occidental Tourism Office representatives.