Many LGUs Are Against Lifting Of Travel Requirements, LPP Head Says

Many LGUs Are Against Lifting Of Travel Requirements, LPP Head Says

LIFTING OF TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS – Several local government units are against the lifting of travel requirements, according to the LPP.

LIFTING OF TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
(JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN) | Image from: Manila Bulletin

The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) president and Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr. said, however, that the LGUs are supportive of requiring travelers to present a negative result of the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction test (RT-PCR) for them to effectively protect their communities from spreading COVID-19, according to the Manila Bulletin.

Velasco added that they also requested to allow antigen tests, which is faster and more affordable for most LGUs.

The recent Resolution No. 101 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) said that travelers are no longer required to undergo testing unless required by the LGU prior to travel.

DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said on March 3 that as a general rule, travel authority that was issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and local health certificates are no longer required for cross border travel, which took effect March 1.

Densing added that the travelers do not have to be subjected to quarantine unless they show symptoms at the destination upon arrival.

Velasco, however, said that the removal of travel requirements would make LGUs defenseless against the COVID-19. He pointed out that the now-required clinical and exposure assessment might be insufficient if temperature guns are only used.

“Ang nire-require lang po ngayon ay ‘yung clinical and exposure assessment na baka hindi supisyente kung yung gagamitin lang ay ‘yung temperature gun “

Based on the report, Velasco said that the LPP prefers to have a thorough physical examination in screening travelers to prevent the spike of the disease since not all visitors of certain localities are providing factual health data. 

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