Travelers from ‘NCR plus bubble’ required COVID-19 swab test before entry to Tacloban

TACLOBAN CITY –– Travelers from the National Capital Region (NCR) and its four neighboring provinces have to undergo swab testing for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) before entering this city.

Mayor Alfred Romualdez said a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is needed before those coming from NCR, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal are allowed entry to Tacloban.

“We are going to closely monitor those coming from NCR and high-risk areas. We will require now swabbing or antigen test before they return. We don’t want to be an additional burden to the national government,” he said.

He said travelers from these areas are also required to present a letter of acceptance from their respective homes and isolate themselves.

“They should not go out but instead isolate themselves,” the city mayor said.

Romualdez assured city residents that no new variants of COVID-19 have been detected by the City Health Office.

“(And) this is what we are trying to avoid,” he said.

Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, city health officer, said the transmissibility rate on COVID-19 in Tacloban is just around two percent, lower than the new variants.

As of Monday, Tacloban has 2,169 total COVID-19 cases with 65 active.

Romualdez admitted that he had seen people not wearing face masks properly.

“Some tend to relax now,” he said.

LZB