BACOLOD CITY-The Bacolod Local Government Unit (LGU) will no longer require the negative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test result for the inbound travelers coming from any LGU within Western Visayas and Negros Oriental areas effective Jan. 22.
This was after Mayor Evelio Leonardia issued Executive Order (EO)No. 3 amending Section 1 of EO No. 1, Series of 2022 and Paragraph 1, Section 2 of EO No. 2, Series of 2022, setting aside the requirement of negative RT-PCR test rest result on intrazonal/interzonal travel to this City by any person coming from any LGU within Region 6 and Negros Oriental while Bacolod City strictly maintains its border control/ deterrent measures against coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19) and its variants’ transmissions.
But, the city still requires the travelers based on EO No. 3, the online BaCTrac registration; vaccination card for those who had been fully vaccinated and/or have received a booster dose.
For those who remain unvaccinated or have received only the first dose of a 2-dose vaccine series, they shall present at their ports of origin and destination a negative result under rapid antigen test (RAT) certified by the Department of Health(DOH)-an accredited laboratory that administered the RAT within 24 hours before boarding at their port of origin.
A valid personal identification card (ID) is still required.
The EO No. 3 further said, the travelers must pass a symptom screening at the port/s of entry upon arrival in this city; and they must strictly comply with existing minimum public health standards.
Leonardia said while current facts and circumstances show that new variant/s of COVID-19 have caused the recent spike in cases in several LGUs in the country and that their alert levels were heightened and elevated as a precautionary reaction and measure to protect the safety and health of the general public.
However, this city needs to balance the scale between the health of the people and the socio-economic interactions of constituents that, among others, involve the ingress and egress to and from the territorial jurisdiction of this City, the mayor added.
Even though, this city amended the travel guidelines, it has remained under alert level 3 status from Jan. 14 to Jan. 31, based on EO No. 2./PN
