New EO 57 now allows 

tourists outside bubble 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 18 (PIA) – This is not bursting one’s bubble, but beginning immediately, tourists and authorized persons outside residence (APOR) coming to Bohol can visit areas outside of the tourism bubble and places of work or business. 

But they have to present two negative coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test results done by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) to be able to do so. 

The first negative RT-PCR test results should be from a test taken 72 hours prior to their travel to Bohol and the next negative RT PCR test result would be on the fifth day after their arrival here in Bohol. 

Having cleared both tests, free independent travelers, tourists and APORS, can now be free to visit places outside their designated areas of visit to Bohol, unlike what earlier directives mandate. 

Children who are four years old and below accompanying adults attending MICE and events and free and independent travelers are also now exempted from the RT PCR requirement as long as they follow the same minimum health and safety protocols against COVID-19. 

The new ruling which Governor Arthur Yap signed December 16, forms part of Executive Order 57, series of 2020 which amends section 3 of EO 53 series of 2020 which provided for the guidelines in the implementation of the tourist bubble and section 5 of EO 54 which puts up a unified and simplified guidelines for sea and air travel for locally stranded individuals, returning Overseas Filipino Workers and APORS and adopting new Quarantine Protocols policy for those coming in to Bohol. 

The move, according to the executive order is consistent with the National Action Plan as approved by the Inter Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease in Resolution No, 51, to balance the health and economic activities and to concentrate efforts on expanded and targeted testing and contact tracing by gradually allowing travel tourism and non-disruption of work. 

It may be recalled that EO 53 has allowed the entry of six or more tourists coming to Bohol for meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibits and events as long as they can present a negative RT PCR test result taken 72 hours prior to travel, can present a confirmed hotel, transport and tour bookings as long as they follow health and safety protocols. 

The directive from the governor also expressed that once they arrive in Bohol, pass the airport protocols, they would be picked by an accredited transport and led to their hotel, move to tours after confirmed guided-tour booking and there should be no stop-overs outside tourist bubble. 

From EO 54, which limits the movement of APORS only to place of work and business from isolation facility, comes EO 57 which acknowledges the need for an amendment as there are occasions and instances when tourists and APORS would want to stay longer and visit other places outside of the tourist bubble and places of work or business. 

In the new executive order, the governor said as stopovers from port and airport to accommodation establishments and meeting of friends, relatives or acquaintances outside the tourist bubble is not allowed under Executive Order No. 53, tourists, free independent travelers and attendees to meetings, incentives conventions and conferences, exhibits and events, on the fifth day from their date of arrival, after presenting another negative RT PCR result, may now visit places outside the tourist bubble. 

As to APORS, under Executive Order No. 54 which allows APORs to go to specified places for the purpose of his visit, after presenting a negative COVID result by RT PCR not more than 72 hours prior to arrival here in Bohol, another negative RT PCR test result for COVID-19 on the fifth days from their date or arrival here allows them to visit places outside their designated places of work or business. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol) 

BISAN PA SA DOUBLE NEGATIVE RT PCR. Even if tourists coming in to Bohol can present a negative result for COVID-19 test via RT PCR, they are still obliged to follow the minimum health and safety protocols: wearing of face masks, face shields, temperature checks. If they stay for over five days, a mandatory RT PCR on the fifth day is set, and when they test negative, they can already go off bubble, to mingle with Boholanos in other locations. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol) 

SPREADING THE TOURISM DOOR WIDER. The new Executive Order WHICH Governor Arthur Yap signed December 16 will now allow free and independent tourists and APORs to go off their travel bubble as long as they can provide a second negative test result for COVID from an RT PCR on their fifth day of stay here. The new OW however does not cover locally stranded individuals. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)