Fully vaccinated persons

Can travel unhampered

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol July 6 (PIA) – As long as an individual, even senior citizens covered by the travel restrictions in Bohol can now travel all over Bohol un-impeded, as long as they can show proof that they have been fully vaccinated.

The proof, as contained in the vaccination card, also allows these individuals to get shortened quarantines should they be identified as close contacts of a probable or confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positive.

Fully vaccinated individuals however, as defined by the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, are those who have equal or more than two weeks after having received the second dose of the 2-dose vaccines, or the same length of time after getting the first dose of a vaccine that only needs a single shot.

According to the IATF in its Resolution No. 124-B, these fully vaccinated individuals can now can travel unhampered, in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).

However, other than being able to present their domestic COVID vaccination card, they also have to observe the minimum public health standards and protocols, according to the IATF.

The vaccination card, according to the inter-agency group is that one issued by the legitimate vaccinating establishment as soon as the individual completes his vaccination against the highly viral disease.

In its Resolution No. 124-B, series of 2021, the IATF also said that aside from the vaccination card, a certificate of quarantine completion showing the holder’s vaccination status as may be issued by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).

It may be recalled that the IATF, in its Resolution No. 123-C series of 2021, has said that the BOQ is authorized to issue Certificates of Quarantine Completion indicating the vaccination status of the fully vaccinated arriving travelers, whether they were vaccinated in the Philippines or abroad.

The vaccination card, which attests to an individual’s full vaccination also cuts the 14 days mandatory quarantine to half, shortening the quarantine to 7 days when one is identified as a close contact or probable COVID-19 cases, as long as he remains asymptomatic during the shortened quarantine counting beginning form the first day immediately after the last exposure.

With the card, in the event that a fully vaccinated individual needed to be tested through Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), this would be done not earlier than the fifth day after the last exposure to the virus.

Another thing, for close contacts to probable or confirmed COVID cases who have been traced beyond the seventh day from the last exposure and still remained asymptomatic, these fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to be tested and be place in quarantine as required.

With the same vaccination card showing two weeks has lapsed after the second dose, travel outside Bohol for holders of these legitimate vaccination document, could already by a sufficient alternative to any testing requirement before travel or upon arrival to a local government unit, subject to health and exposure screening in the LGU of destination, resolved the IATF. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

FULLY VACCINATED SENIOR CITIZENS. Fully vaccinated senior citizens, or those who have two weeks of more after the second dose of the coronavirus disease vaccines can now travel unhampered, as the IATF resolved for their freer access to travel as long as they observed minimum public health standards. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol