Intra-island bus trips still banned

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator and Inter Agency Task Force action officer Rayfrando Diaz said the proposed resumption of passenger bus trips between two Negros provinces may not be possible as Negros Oriental is on COVID-19 Alert Level 4, while Negros Occidental remains under Alert Level 2.

Diaz said there’s more risk on the part of Negros Occidental in opening public transportation with Negros Oriental.

He pointed out “It is counterproductive in our campaign against COVID-19 if we allow unimpeded or unchecked travel between Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.”

The Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force of Negros Oriental reported 855 new COVID-19 cases, and 299 more cases in Dumaguete City with 13 deaths, on October 19, 20, 21, 22 and 24.

Diaz, however, said they are looking for ways to open the province to fully vaccinated individuals from Negros Oriental, provided the identification cards they will present are verifiable, and with QR codes to prevent others from falsifying their credentials.

“We hope that their situation will improve soon in Negros Oriental, so that once it is safe, we will resume the normal transportation within this island,” he added.

For now, Diaz said they will still require travelers entering the province in private cars to register with the S-PaSS and present either the QR-coded vaccination cards or negative RT-PCR results which is at least 72 hours from their day of travel.

He, however, reiterated that they will not allow public transportation to come into the province.

Diaz said they will again meet with representatives of the Vallacar Transit Inc, who are proposing the resumption of land trips between two Negros provinces, if the conditions are ripe for opening of public transport.

As to the fake RT-PCR test results, he revealed that they have denied many who have false documents during the application of S-PaSS.

Diaz said that S-PaSS is very effective in making sure that all persons coming into Negros Occidental are fully vaccinated or have negative RT-PCR test results.