Malay town, including Boracay, borders to stay open

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines — —The borders of Malay town in Aklan province, which has jurisdiction over the prime tourist destination Boracay Island, will remain open despite an appeal of the municipal council to tighten travel restrictions.

Acting Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista on Saturday denied the request of councilors to temporarily close the borders to inbound traffic.

The municipal council on Sept. 10 passed a resolution urging Bautista to shutter the borders as part of efforts to protect residents from COVID-19. It cited a report of the Aklan Provincial Health Office that documented the first local transmission of the virus in the province involving a staff of Dr. Rafael S. Tumbukon Memorial Hospital, the provincial hospital.

Aklan had 24 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday, including one fatality, 10 active case and 13 recoveries.

The Malay municipal council found the report of the provincial health office an “alarming development,” but Bautista pointed out that Aklan was under the more relaxed modified general community quarantine and had been enforcing health protocols.

Boracay has accepted tourists from Western Visayas starting on June 16.

Local governments and businesses in Aklan are also preparing to accept more local and international tourists coming from areas with no, or relatively low number of COVID-19 cases starting on Oct. 1.

—Nestor P. Burgos Jr.