BACOLOD CITY—The Negros Occidental provincial government started, on Tuesday, conducting free rapid antigen tests (RAT) for inbound travelers at the Bacolod Silay Airport and seaports.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson issued an executive order extending the Alert Level 3 status of Negros Occidental until Feb. 15.
The free RAT would only be from Feb. 1 to 15 to protect residents from the Omicron variant.
Passengers with reactive RAT can undergo facility-based or home quarantine.
The provincial government honors non-reactive RAT results before travel valid 48 hours from the date of the swab sample extraction issued by a Department of Health (DOH) accredited clinic or laboratory.
It will also honor negative swab test results before travel valid 72 hours from the date of swab sample extraction issued by a DOH accredited laboratory.
All inbound travelers, regardless of vaccination status, shall also be required to present an S-PASS.
The provincial government could not provide RAT for land-based travelers due to the lack of swabbing facilities at the borders, Lacson said.
Land-based travelers should present non-reactive RAT results or negative swab test results.
Individuals apprehended with fake documents will face criminal sanctions. They will also be quarantined for 14 days at a provincial government healing facility and undergo a swab test on the fifth day from arrival, at their expense.
Air travel to Negros Occidental is restricted to two Manila-Bacolod-Manila flights per airline company a day.
Sea vessels will be allowed to admit passengers up to 50 percent of their capacity.
The provincial government is also adopting a Department of Health circular allowing home quarantine and isolation of probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases with no symptoms, mild symptoms, or moderate symptoms.