Iloilo City retains swab test requirement; Treñas pleads for understanding

Mayor Jerry Treñas has appealed for public understanding over the present travel requirements imposed by the Iloilo City Government.

Based on the recent executive order (EO) issued by Treñas, locally stranded individuals (LSIs), returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and authorized persons outside of residence (APORs) are required to submit negative RT-PCR test results released within 72 hours before going to the city.

Those passengers from the National Capital Region (NCR) and Cebu who failed to secure the requirement are mandated to undergo swab testing upon arrival or observe a 14-day quarantine.

“[This] is to make sure that the surge in [COVID-19] cases in [NCR and Cebu] will not happen to Iloilo City,” Treñas said in a statement.

“As soon as the cases go down, we will change the protocols accordingly. Please give us your understanding.”

The city has the second highest number of active COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas after Iloilo province.

Based on the March 9 bulletin released by the Department of Health (DOH-6), the city logged 235 active cases.IMT