Strict border reimposition eyed amid Omicron threat

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Monday said the province is eyeing to reimpose strict border control if COVID cases in Metro Manila continue to rise in view of the confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the capital region.

“We will still adhere to the S-PaSS if you are coming outside of the province, individually, experts are just saying that we have to continue with the face mask, social distancing and the hygiene. History tells us that whatever variant that happens outside of the country, can also spread in the provinces,” Lacson said.

“So we really just have to protect ourselves, so on the part of the province, we will continue to be strictly requiring the S-PaSS.”

S-PaSS or Safe, Swift and Smart Passage is an online travel management system of the Department of Science and Technology used for domestic travel during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines when varying levels of travel restrictions was imposed in local government units.

Lacson said closing of borders is always possible.

“That is always possible especially when the cases start going up again, all actions should be considered, because really, we do not want another surge, but we just have to be prepared, ” he added.

The governor also told reporters that with or without the Omicron, the vaccination campaign should be sped up.

He, however, doubted that the province could attain herd immunity this month.

The governor urged everyone to continue observing basic health protocols.

As to the number of COVID cases in the province, the governor said it is going down.

“The number is good, but that is before Omicron. We will see what happens. So we really just have to protect ourselves, so on the part of the province, we will continue to be strictly requiring the S-PaSS.”