No more RT-PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated travelers to Iloilo province
THE ILOILO provincial government has lifted the RT-PCR test requirement for fully-vaccinated travelers starting Feb. 16.
Iloilo Governor Arthur R. Defensor, Jr. issued an executive order Wednesday easing entry rules at all borders, including the Iloilo International Airport located in the town of Cabatuan.
“The inbound travel of Returning Residents and Non-Residents who are fully vaccinated shall be required to present COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate, and those who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated shall be required negative RT-PCR test result issued within 72 hours before travel to the Province, except pediatric age group below five (5) years old,” reads Executive Order No 040-B Series of 2022.
Mr. Defensor said the test requirement for unvaccinated individuals is intended “to reduce the risk from those entering the province and make travel safer for everyone.”
An S-Pass permit is still required from everyone entering the province.
Iloilo, along with the independent city of Iloilo which earlier lifted the test requirement, is among the only seven areas nationwide that will remain under a stricter alert level 3 classification until end-February. The rest of the country is under the more relaxed level 2.
The province with a population of over two million, excluding Iloilo City, had 4,926 active coronavirus cases as of Feb. 15 out of the 42,298 total, based on data from the Department of Health-Western Visayas regional office. Iloilo City had 848 active cases.
The entire Western Visayas Region has reached a vaccination rate of 79.09% of total population as of Feb. 14, according to a report by COVID-19 Task Force chief implementer Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. — MSJ
