PIMT to travelers, APORs: Submit yourselves to swab testing

The Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) of Negros Occidental reminds returning Negrenses and authorized person outside residence (APOR) that they are required to submit themselves to RTPCR test and 24-hour quarantine if they have expired test results upon arrival in the province.

PIMT head Dr. Zephard Caelian made the emphasis as starting today the province will reopen its airports and seaports to passenger traffic following the expiry of the travel moratorium yesterday.

Caelian said the province will observe Resolution 101 of the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) which only required a negative RT-PCR test result 72 hours before travel.

He pointed out because of the extension of the moratorium, several travelers will surely have expired test results.

“This will be for the safety of everybody and this is free,” he explained.

The travel moratorium, he said, was requested by the city government of Iloilo, but the order covered the entire Western Visayas region. Caelian reiterated that S-Pass and Stay Safe apps are required for travelers.

Meanwhile, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that so far there are no more extensions for the travel moratorium.

Lacson said Negros Occidental has been classified under “high risk areas” by the Department of Health but he is “bewildered” as to why their request for the province to be placed under general community quarantine was not approved by the NIATF.

The governor then reminded the public to continue following health protocols./