Stranded individuals not allowed to enter Region 8 for now — Eleazar

MANILA, Philippines — Locally stranded individuals (LSIs) are temporarily banned from entering Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) due to the rise of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases there, according to Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of Joint Task Force COVID Shield.

Eleazar ordered police chiefs nationwide to stop issuing travel passes to all stranded individuals going to Eastern Visayas for two weeks starting Thursday.

“May direktibo si SILG (Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año) na after the request of local chief executives, sinuspend muna ang pagbibigay ng travel authority sa mga LSIs na pupunta o papasok ng Region 8 for two weeks,” Eleazar said in a phone interview with reporters.

(Secretary Año has directed the two-week suspension of the issuance of travel authority for LSIs wanting to enter Region 8 on the request of  local government units in the area.)

“Bibigyan namin ng instruction ang issuing authorities particularly mga chiefs of police from all over the Philippines na huwag mag-i-issue ng travel authority sa mga LSIs na mga destinasyon ay Region 8,” he added.

(We gave instruction to travel pass issuing authorities particularly chiefs of police all over the Philippines not to issue travel authority to all LSIs who will go to Region 8.)

In a separate interview with GMA 7’s Unang Hirit, Año said LGUs in Eastern Visayas have requested to suspend the entry of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) as quarantine facilities in the region are already full.

“Ang request ng ating mga local government dito na magsuspend ng LSIs nang 14 days habang pinapatapos ang quarantine nung mga nauna, kasi sa ngayon, napuno ang quarantine facilities so kung dadating man ng LSI wala naman silang paglalagyan,” Año, vice chairman of National Task Force against COVID-19, said when asked about the COVID-19 situation in Region 8.

(The request of our local government is to suspend the LSIs for 14 days while some stranded persons are still finishing their quarantine because for now quarantine facilities are still full of new LSIs will arrive, there are no quarantine facilities for them.)

“Hindi naman sila sigurado kasi kapag home quarantine vini-violate minsan mga protocols,” he added.

(For them, home quarantine is not enough because sometimes returning residents violate protocols sometimes.)

Año, nonetheless, hailed the local government officials and health workers in the region for recording zero deaths due to COVID-19. Año said Region 8 currently has 392 active COVID-19 cases.

NTF chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. and Año went to Leyte to look into the recent surge of coronavirus disease cases in the province.

/MUF