ZAMBOANGA CITY recorded a steady spike in coronavirus infections from just under three dozen last month to over 100 following the easing of travel restrictions by the national task force on Covid-19.
‘Mayor appeals to residents to strictly follow health protocols’
The uniformed travel protocols was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) and under Resolution No. 101 which forego documentary requirements such as RT-PCR testing and medical certificate for travellers across the country.
The new travel protocols were crafted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police, the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, the League of Provinces of the Philippines, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and the League of Cities of the Philippines.
DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the new protocols are applicable to all local governments. He said all local governments must comply with the new IATF-MEID regulations.
Malaya said Covid-19 testing shall not be mandatory for domestic travellers, except if the local government will require testing as a requirement prior to travel. “If the LGU of destination requires a test, it shall only require a Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction or RT-PCR test and no other. Meaning, LGUs cannot require Antigen tests or rapid tests as test requirements prior to travel,” he said.
Under the new protocols, no traveller shall be required to undergo facility-based quarantine unless they exhibit symptoms upon arrival at their destination. “Therefore, the health assessment of passengers or travellers supervised by medical professionals shall be mandatory upon entry in the port or terminal and exit at point of destination,” he said.
He said that all local governments shall conduct clinical and exposure assessment at all points of entry and exit to ensure that only asymptomatic, non-close contact individuals are allowed to travel or move from one local government to another.
Malaya emphasized that with the travel regulations harmonized, the strict implementation of health protocols remain the same - wearing of face mask, face shield and physical distancing, including frequent hand washing – to ensure safety at all times against the deadly respiratory virus.
He said Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs) from national government agencies shall provide their identification card, travel order, and travel itinerary, and must pass symptom-screening at ports of entry and exit. “Pero kahit lumuwag ang travel protocols, paalala po sa travellers na pinapatupad pa rin ang minimum public health standards. Maging disiplinado pa rin po sa pagsunod sa physical distancing, hand hygiene, cough etiquette at pagsuot ng face masks at face shields. Disiplina muna para sa ligtas na biyahe,” he said.
For ports and terminals, all must have assigned sufficient quarantine facilities, according to Malaya, adding, a referral system must be in place wherein travellers who become symptomatic shall be transferred to quarantine or isolation facilities to enable the Bureau of Quarantine for airports, or local government to take over.
Vice President Leni Robredo has previously criticized the IATF-MEID’s decision harmonizing travel requirement across all the country, saying it could trigger the spike in Covid-19 cases. Robredo was correct.
But Malaya said that they needed to streamline local regulations for domestic travel as well as recommend best options to encourage domestic travel for leisure to revive the heavily-hit travel and tourism sector and related industries while managing the risks of Covid-19 transmission.
Citing figures from the National Economic Development Authority, he said that quarantine restrictions put in place since March 2020 has caused a total income loss of P1.04 trillion that year. On average, that translated to P2.8 billion in salaries lost — or an annual income loss of P23,000 per worker.
“We needed to streamline because we need to revive our economy and address the hunger, loss of jobs and economic opportunities that came as a result of the travel restrictions,” Malaya insisted, noting that 30% of the public still cannot go to work and 50% of the people cannot take public transport. “People need to be able to commute to go to work or to earn a living,” he said.
Malaya said that the domestic airline industry has also asked the DILG to address this issue since the local air carriers have accumulated a P47.4 billion net income loss as of September of last year alone. “Despite the reopening of major regional airports, the domestic airline industry has seen a slump in domestic passengers and domestic cargo carried due to fragmented LGU regulations compared to our ASEAN neighbors where Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have already revived their domestic travel industry to 2019 levels. If other countries can do it, why can’t we?” he asked.
Strict Health Protocols
In spite of the IATF-MEID order, Zamboanga Mayor Beng Climaco maintained the need for RT-PCR testing for travellers entering the city to prevent the further spread of the deadly respiratory virus and ensure the health and safety of the Zamboangueño people.
The negative RT-PCR test result requirement was approved by the Regional IATF-MEID.
She also warned those caught illegally entering Zamboanga City shall be fined P5,000 and will be immediately quarantined pending RT-PCR test all at their own expense. And the same also with travellers carrying falsified documents, including those aiding in the entry of any persons with incomplete requirements shall be fined P5,000 for every individual smuggled into Zamboanga City, and the revocation of business permit if they are engaged in the trade or business in Zamboanga City.
“These measures, which include the RT-PCR requirement for travellers, were approved by the Regional IATF-MEID following the spike of Covid-19 in the National Capital Region and other areas in Luzon,” Climaco said.
The mayor said local health authorities observed that most of the Covid-19 cases were traced from APORs which eventually spread in different barangays here. She said the “no-swab test, no-entry” policy took effect on April 1 and shall run until end of the month or extended if necessary to protect the residents.
“As mayor, Zamboanga City residents are my priority and with the help of our hardworking frontliners from the government and security sector down to the barangays, we maximize vigilance in land and sea to protect our people. However, safety is everyone’s concern and duty,” she added.
Climaco said she received reports that many residents are either complacent or not complying with the health protocols and community quarantine guidelines which largely contributed to the increase in active Covid-19 cases here. “I have been telling residents repeatedly to follow health protocols by properly wearing your face shield, face mask and sanitize hands or wash them frequently with soap and water and observe physical distancing. Bien mucho gente duro el cabesa,” she said. (Zamboanga Post)
Like Us on Facebook: The Zamboanga Post
Follow Us on Twitter: Mindanao Examine
Mirror Site: Mindanao Examiner Blog
Digital Archives: Mindanao Examiner Digital
Media Rates: Advertising Rates
No comments:
Post a Comment