Bacolod to require swab test for vaccinees

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The threat posed by the COVID Delta variant has prompted the city government of Bacolod to step up its health and security measures by requiring even fully vaccinated people to undergo swab test 72 hours before entering the capital.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is also mulling to again require people entering the province, including those coming from the neighboring island of Panay, to present negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results.

This developed after the Department of Health confirmed that there were two cases of the highly infectious Delta variant recorded in Antique.

One of the infected persons had died, while the other has recovered.

At present, the provincial government is accepting COVID vaccination cards as an alternative to any test requirement for travelers entering the province.

In an order issued on July 18, Mayor Evelio Leonardia suspended an earlier resolution allowing returning Bacolod residents who are fully vaccinated to present only their vaccination cards instead of a negative RT-PCR test result.

Leonardia also prohibited leisure travel between Bacolod City and Panay, but stressed that movement of all types of goods and cargoes would remain unhampered between Negros and Panay.

Lacson said the province would not abide by a resolution of the inter-agency task force allowing five-year-old children, accompanied by vaccinated parents, to go out in public.