MANILA – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) eyes the removal of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing as travel requirement to boost tourism industry that was badly hit by pandemic.
“Tinitingnan rin namin ang posibilidad na wala na tayong testing,” DILG undersecretary Epimaco Densing said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo on Tuesday.
According to him, travelers will instead be required to undergo clinical testing at the terminal of origin and terminal of destination.
“Kung ikaw ay walang ganung klaseng exposure, hindi po mandated talaga ang testing. Banggit po ng mga epidemiologists, as long as meron kang minimum health standards, 95 percent po hindi po tayo makakapaghawa at hindi rin tayo mahahawa,” he added.
Densing said Cebu, as per executive order issued by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, is no longer requiring domestic tourists to show negative COVID-19 test before entering the province.
DILG also plans to scrap the travel authority and health certificate requirements saying they are “irrelevant”.
“Medyo irrelevant na ‘yun. ‘Yung mga kapulisan natin halimbawa instead na peace and order ang kanilang focus, karamihan na nasa presinto nag-iissue na lang ng travel authority,” said Densing.
“Pangalawa, ‘yung city health certificate hindi na relevant kasi kukuha ako ng health certificate tapos after three days pa ako magbiyahe wala na siyang relevance din dahil maaaring magkaroon ako ng COVID-19 along the way,” he added.
Densing said the proposals are still “subject for discussions” by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases./PN
