Western Visayas suspended for another week the entry of travelers from areas experiencing a surge in cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The temporary ban on travelers from the NCR Plus bubble (Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, and Cavite), Davao and Cebu, agreed by local chief executives (LCEs) in the region, was approved by the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19.
The seven-day travel moratorium will take effect tomorrow, April 13 until April 19.
The NTF moved the effectivity date of the ban from April 11 “to give due notice to all those planning to travel or are already traveling to Region VI.”
“This time must be used to undertake further measures to intensify the enforcement and monitoring of compliance to the minimum health standards and to strengthen your healthcare system’s capabilities,” said NTF Chairperson Delfin Lorenza in a letter addressed to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas.
The requested suspension covers all returning residents and authorized persons outside of residence (APORs). It “does not apply to returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will be granted unhampered access.”
Western Visayas, which is currently under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), has a total of 29,833 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 11.
Of the figure, 25,878 are recoveries, 803 are deaths, and the rest are considered active cases or patients who are still infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.IMT
