Leisure travel between Bacolod City and Panay Island halted amid danger of COVID-19 Delta variant

BACOLOD CITY — Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia on Sunday, July 18, prohibited all leisure travel between the city and Panay Island as a measure against the COVID-19 Delta variant.

Leonardia, in Executive Order 39-A, Series of 2021, said fully vaccinated Bacolod residents will again be required to present a negative swab test result obtained within 72 hours prior to and upon arrival in Bacolod.

Leonardia said Department of Health (DOH) officials have warned him about the two COVID-19 Delta variant cases in Panay.

Dr. Adriano Suba-an, regional director of the DOH, announced the detection of two local Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases in Western Visayas.

An elderly couple from Antique was hospitalized on May 27. The husband, who was asymptomatic, recovered but the wife died on May 31.

Contact tracing is underway to prevent the spread of the highly contagious variant, said Dr. Glenn Alonsabe, DOH regional epidemiologist.

Bacolod City is currently under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions while Iloilo province and Iloilo City are under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

While leisure travel from Panay Island to Bacolod City will not be allowed, the movement of all types of goods and cargoes on delivery vehicles, with only a maximum of five persons on board, will remain unhampered.

Only Authorized Persons Outside their Residences or APORs will be allowed to travel from Panay Island to or out of Bacolod City.

Those from GCQ and modified GCQ areas on Panay Island may be allowed to enter Bacolod City as long as they can present the following documents: a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results obtained within 72 hours prior to and upon arrival in Bacolod City; online BaCTrac registration; online health declaration; S-PaSS; travel coordination permit; and a valid ID.