Iloilo City ready to test inbound travelers to mitigate Omicron risk
THE ILOILO City government is ready to conduct testing of inbound travelers as part of measures to reduce the threat of the more transmissible coronavirus Omicron variant.
In a statement on Monday following a meeting of the local task force managing the pandemic response, the city government said testing will be done for those arriving from Metro Manila, Cebu, and Boracay.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said local cases could surge in the coming weeks following the holiday season and the influx of travelers.
An executive order will be issued on new testing requirements and other protocols for those entering the city.
There are three public and one private accredited laboratories in Iloilo City for RT-PCR testing.
VACCINATION
Mr. Treñas also reiterated the appeal for residents to get vaccinated, and have the booster shot for those already qualified.
“Cases are rising based on the reports of DoH (Department of Health). The NCR (National Capital Region) is now under Alert Level 3 and cases continue to go up. We need to protect ourselves and our families,” he said. “I am asking everyone to get their booster shots three months after their second dose. We need to have additional protection against Omicron.”
The mayor also said he will be requesting for more Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to ensure sufficient supply.
He also directed preparations for the reopening of isolation and quarantine facilities, most of which have been temporarily closed as cases dropped late last year.
“While we still do not have any confirmed case of Omicron in the city, we need to be pro-active about it,” he said.
“I am asking everyone to stop gatherings with persons not from the same household in the meantime while we are in the alert for cases of Omicron,” he added.
As of Jan. 2, data from the DoH-Western Visayas regional office show Iloilo City had 69 active cases out of the total 21,941 recorded since the start of the pandemic. There were 21,237 recoveries 626 deaths. — MSJ
