Negros Oriental lifts travel pass requirement

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Travelers are no longer required to register with the S-PaSS or safe, swift and smart passage app before entering the province of Negros Oriental.

Gov. Roel Degamo issued an executive order (EO) lifting the S-PaSS as one of the travel requirements after the local inter-agency task force on COVID stressed the lack of S-PaSS counters at several entry points of the province during a meeting on Oct. 20.

The lack of S-PaSS counters often results in a large number of stranded passengers at the ports and other entry points, the task force said.

In lifting the S-PaSS requirement, Degamo clarified that all other provisions earlier provided under the EO remain in effect.

The provincial government said unvaccinated travelers are still required to present a negative RT-PCR or reverse transcription-polymerase reaction test result taken 72 hours before the travel. The lifting of the S-PaSS took effect on Oct. 23.

Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout for minors with comorbidities in Bacolod City will begin on Oct. 29.

The start of the inoculation of minors with comorbidities will coincide with the nationwide launch of the age group’s vaccination rollout, according to Em Ang, executive director of the city emergency operations center.