No test upon arrival,

No PCR for toddlers

CORTES, Bohol March 19 (PIA) – In a move that could potentially dent on the Provincial Government’s return on investment on its procurement of two multi-million private molecular laboratories affixed to the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction machines here, Bohol Governor Arthur Yap signed Executive Order No 17-1 series of 2021, which ruled out the option for testing upon arrival of returning Boholanos and incoming travellers as they step on the airport or port.

The testing upon arrival was an option opened to returning residents who could not afford to get a negative for COVID test result by RT PCR, as stated in Executive Order No. 17, series of 2021.

In Executive Order No. 17-A series of 2021, the governor amended his executive order No 17, and reiterated the exemption of children under 4 years old from the RT-PCR testing.

The recent Executive Order forms the newest twist in the ever changing policies which the national and the local governments have mandated, as government and health authorities find themselves whetting into shape a constantly changing set of protocols to balance public safety and reopening businesses to salvage the country’s slumping economy.

The amendment of the earlier executive order which initially allowed RT-PCR testing upon arrival, came out a week before the anniversary when Bohol closed its boundaries to curb the possibility of allowing COVID-infected persons to bring in the viral disease.

It may be recalled that Bohol closed its boundaries last March 16, 2020, and has to only gradually reopen in November 15, by adopting the Department of Tourism’s proposed Tourism Bubble through Executive Order No. 53, for tourists coming in.

The tourism bubble allowed tour groups to Bohol as long as they are COVID-free and travel as a group, never straying away from their designated itineraries.

A week later, a simplified and unified guidelines on sea and air travel to Bohol and the guidelines on mandatory quarantine came out backed by Executive Order No. 54, for locally stranded individuals, returning Overseas Filipino Workers and Authorized Persons, who felt they were left out and denied entry to Bohol.

With tourism response still very low when Bohol only allowed large groups to come in, another Executive Order No. 53-A came out December 14, this time incorporated free and independent tourists (FITs) to those allowed in the Tourism Bubble.

As the new year started, Bohol green-lighted the travel outside of the Tourism Bubble, as long as a tourist can present a negative for COVID in an RT PCR test done on their fifth day of stay in Bohol, through Executive Order No. 07 series of 2021.

Observers believed this was to extend the use and fatten the ROI of the private containerized RT PCR and molecular laboratory.

Sometime too, in the last quarter of 2020, Capitol moles leaked about the procurement of another RT PR and molecular laboratory for Talibon, a north-eastern Bohol town with a bustling port.

With the growing popularity and reliability as well as the more cost-friendly Saliva RT PCR as travel entry requirement of APORs and tourists to Bohol, the local government of Bohol issued Executive Order No. 9 series of 2021 in February 2, which effectively amended EO 53 and EO 54.

Two weeks later, guided by the Department of Health memorandum dated February 16 on the recommended guidance on testing protocols for Bohol, the governor again issued Executive Order No 12 series of 2021, which provided new testing protocols for returning residents (RR), returning OFWs (ROFs), APORs and non-APORS and lifted the strict quarantine as mandated by EO 53 and EO 54.

And when the Inter Agency Task Force issued Resolution No. 101 recommending uniform travel protocols for land, sea air, EO No 12 has to be amended.

As EO 17 allowed the entry of RRs, ROFs, OFWs and APORs or non-APORs as long as they can show a negative RT PCR test result taken 72 hours before their departure to Bohol, unless they show symptoms of the disease, only then can they be required for a repeat testing upon arrival.

Here, the problem with the option for testing upon arrival is when incoming travellers do not coordinate with LGUs which will facilitate the RT PCR testing and the probability of not going into LGU quarantine or private facility quarantine.

While EO 17 also imposed the no medical clearance certificate and no more PNP COVID-19 SHIELD travel authority, it still retained as mandatory the LGU Confirmation and Endorsement.

Over this, to stop any possible uncontrolled breaches, the governor, in trying to arrest the surging number of returning residents, took out the testing upon arrival as a requirement for a traveller to move around Bohol unhampered. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

LOOSER TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS. From a long list of travel requirements, Bohol now only requires a 72-hour negative test result for COVID-19 prior to travel and a Certificate of Confirmation and Endorsement from the local government unit of destination. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol FILE PHOTO) 

HOMING FOR GOOD. Returning Boholanos wait for their LGU extraction teams after arriving at the port of Tagbilaran. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol FILE PHOTO)