Tarlac tightens border controls

Long queue of vehicles along the SCTEX entry point in Tarlac. (Photo from the Tarlac Police Provincial Office)

MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga—Non-Tarlac residents who want to enter the province now need to present negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or antigen tests, the Capas municipal government disclosed on Monday, Aug. 2.

In a public advisory, the Capas information office said the new travel policy covers residents of other provinces and cities.

It said the provincial inter-agency task force on COVID-19 had ordered the setting up of checkpoints in all entry points of Tarlac along the North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway to enforce the new policy.

Those who need to enter Tarlac for essential purposes are allowed to present vaccination cards and identification cards if they do not have current negative swab test results.

Police quarantine checkpoints were also established along MacArthur Highway in Bamban town, which borders Mabalacat City in Pampanga province, and in Concepcion town, which borders Magalang, Pampanga.

On Monday, Tarlac registered 35 new COVID-19 cases and 63 recoveries.

A total of 9,184 cases have been recorded in the province since the pandemic began last year. Of these, 445 remained active, 8,329 had recovered, and 410 had died.

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