Central Luzon LGUs told to regulate mobility of unvaxxed individuals

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Regional Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid-19 in Central Luzon (RIATF3) on Wednesday urged local government units (LGUs) to regulate the mobility of unvaccinated individuals.

During a meeting held at the Greene Manor Hotel here, the RIATF issued a resolution encouraging LGUS in the region to enact ordinances imposing this amid the threat of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variant, Omicron.

The RIATF3 cited the need to adopt pre-emptive measures in order to forestall and immediately address the perceived adverse impact of Covid-19, particularly the highly transmissible new variant.

“Now that we know that Omicron is infecting a lot of people, much faster than Delta, we need to ensure that we prevent the surge of these cases. If we can somehow arrest the increase of cases much faster, it would be better for us and for our economy,” said Corazon Flores, regional director of the Department of Health and co-chairperson of the RIATF3, during the meeting.

The RIATF3 said there is an urgent need for the LGUs in Central Luzon to enact their respective ordinances on the enhanced vaccination mandate to regulate the mobility of the unvaccinated individuals in the region for the protection of public health, promotion of general welfare, and sustainability of an improving economy.

“The advances in public health and the economic gains that have been achieved in the recent months under Alert Level 2 must be sustained,” the RIATF3 said in the resolution.

The RIATF3 said among the provisions that the LGUs may adopt in enacting their respective ordinances are: unvaccinated individuals must remain in their residences at all times except for the procurement of essential goods and services; must be prohibited in indoor and outdoor/al fresco dining in restaurants and other food establishments; and shall likewise not be allowed from leisure or social trips to malls, hotels, event venues, sports, and country clubs and similar facilities.

Likewise, unvaccinated individuals must be prohibited from domestic travels via public transportation by land, sea, and air except for the procurement of essential goods and services.

The RIATF3 also recommended that unvaccinated individuals in the region undergo a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test every two weeks at their personal expense and present a negative Covid19 test result prior to being admitted for work on-site consistent with the guidelines, rules, and regulations issued by IATF and the Department of Labor and Employment,

However, the RIATF3 said that if the RT-PCR test result is not immediately available, a rapid antigen test result may be used instead. (PNA)