LAOAG CITY—The Ilocos Norte provincial government on Monday (Jan. 18) stopped allowing home quarantine for returning residents, officials said.
The move came after the Philippines’ first case of the more contagious UK coronavirus variant was detected by the Department of Health (DOH) in a returning Filipino last Jan. 13.
In December 2020, the provincial government eased its COVID-19 protocol by allowing returning residents to go on 14-day mandatory quarantine at home instead of in isolation facilities of the government.
Stranded individuals and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) had been allowed supervised home quarantine for 14 days with their family members.
In an advisory, the provincial government said returning residents will still be allowed to go on quarantine at home but must present proof of completing quarantine in a government-run or accredited facility prior to their return.
On Jan. 17, the province reported that only one COVID-19 case has been added to the local tally, which already reached 135.
Ilocos Norte is currently on modified general community quarantine except in this city, which is under general community quarantine since Jan. 11.