Traveling to Silanguin cove, one of the tourist destinations in San Antonio, Zambales, is now easy for vaccinated tourists as the provincial government scrapped the COVID-19 testing requirement. (Joanna Rose Aglibot, Inquirer Northern Luzon)
SAN ANTONIO, Zambales – Despite the growing number of COVID-19 cases in this province, the local government scrapped the testing requirement for vaccinated tourists.
In an advisory on Friday, January 21, Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said that residents and non-residents must only present authentic vaccination cards upon entry in the province.
Travelers who are exhibiting symptoms, however, even those completely vaccinated, must undergo an antigen test at the border before entry.
While traveling is now easy for vaccinated tourists, those who are unvaccinated, even residents who are on their way home, are barred in the province, unless they agree to get vaccinated at the checkpoints.
Government officials, businesspersons, and even returning residents shall be vaccinated with single-dose Janssen of Johnson & Johnson at the border before entering the province.
Aside from local police officers, medical teams are also deployed at the Subic and Sta. Cruz borders to implement the new guidelines and to administer the vaccines.
So far, 320,538 residents or 70 percent of the target population are fully vaccinated against the viral disease.
The province needs to inoculate 454,730 of its total estimated population of 649,615- to achieve herd immunity.
Since the pandemic broke out in 2020, the province recorded 10,669 COVID-19 cases, including 403 active infections, 10,034 recoveries and 614 deaths.