MAYOR Sara Duterte has reminded incoming airline passengers that they are still required to submit negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results, not vaccination cards, even if they are fully vaccinated.
The mayor made the announcement Monday after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases authorised the local government units on what to require incoming passengers who are fully vaccinated, either the test results or the vaccination cards.
“Initially, nagsulti ang IATF na vaccine cards na ang gamiton then after two days I think nagsulti sila na they will leave it up to the LGUs so ang atoa is RT-PCR testing gihapon,” Duterte said.
She explained the RT-PCR negative test result requirement is still necessary because even fully vaccinated individuals can still get infected with the virus.
“Posible gihapon syang matakdan og COVID-19 albeit mild or asymptomatic na iyang case pero nagadala gihapon sya or posible gihapon sya mag-carry sa virus. So, angay gihapon nga itesting ang mga travelers,” she added.
The city government has also been implementing an ordinance that requires incoming airline passengers to present a negative test result when entering the city through the Davao International Airport.
On July 2, the national task force issued Resolution No. 124-B which requires incoming passengers who are fully vaccinated to just present their vaccination cards. However, they can present their vaccination cards, in place of the negative RT-PCR results, if they travel two weeks after receiving the second dose of the vaccines against COVID-19.
However, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that LGUs can still require incoming passengers to submit negative RT-PCR test results based on their assessment of the risks that their areas are facing in relation to the virus.
The city has been placed on Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine since June 5 after the city government took note of the surge in the daily number of cases.
However, in the same radio program on Monday, Duterte said the city government is evaluating for “arguments” that it will submit to the task force to place the city in a much relaxed classification like General Community Quarantine.
