By ExplainED PH - Aklan
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| Photo By Philippine News Agency; Arnold Almacen/ City Mayor's Office |
Upon arrival, fully vaccinated individuals entering Iloilo City are no longer required to undergo quarantine and present negative RT-PCR test, as directed in the Executive Order No. 015, s. 2022, released by Mayor Jerry Treñas on Feb. 9, Wednesday.
The new guidelines, which amend Executive Order No. 004-D, s. 2022, will go into effect immediately until February 15 at 11:59 p.m. or “until the said period is extended or lifted earlier per latest issuance of the [Inter-Agency Task Force] IATF on the quarantine classification of Iloilo City.”
Under the new EO, fully vaccinated individuals, however, are mandated to isolate themselves upon the manifestation of symptoms associated with COVID-19. They are also required to submit to USWAG Iloilo Molecular Laboratory's NPS/OPS RT-PCR testing, which is located at the Covered Gym, Lapaz Plaza.
Individuals who are partially or completely unimmunized, on the other hand, will be subjected to facility-based quarantine upon arrival in Iloilo City or at home quarantine, depending on the assessment of local health officials.
Meanwhile, both partially vaccinated and unvaccinated returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) from "Red" countries will be obliged to “complete quarantine under a home quarantine set-up for fourteen (14) days from date of arrival and shall likewise undergo NPS/OPS RT-PCR testing, five (5) days from date of arrival.”
The IATF classifies countries on the red list as particularly "high risk." Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Canada, Curacao, French Guiana, Iceland, Malta, Mayotte, Mozambique, Puerto Rico (US), Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain, and the US Virgin Islands are among the countries on the IATF's red list, effective from Jan. 16–31.
Currently, Iloilo City is classified under Alert Level 3 by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) until Feb. 15 along with its neighboring provinces in Western Visayas.
Under Alert Level 3, in-person classes for basic education, contact sports (with few exceptions), kid amusement industries, gaming establishments, and gatherings in residences with individuals who do not belong to the same household are strictly prohibited.
Furthermore, social gatherings, tourist attractions, amusement parks, recreational venues, and religious meetings are among the activities and establishments that can operate at a maximum of 30% indoor venue capacity for fully jabbed individuals and 50% outdoor venue capacity.
To ensure the city’s welfare and safety from the threat of COVID-19, Treñas, in his official Facebook page, encouraged citizens to cooperate and help each other.