Ilocos Sur suspends S-PASS border requirement for returning residents

The Ilocos Sur Capitol lights up its Christmas tree on Dec.1. The provincial government had relaxed COVID-19 border protocols to allow returning fully vaccinated residents to visit their relatives in the province during the holiday season. (Photo courtesy of Ilocos Sur provincial government)

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte—The government of Ilocos Sur province suspended Monday the requirement of S-PASS (Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage) permits for returning residents to enter the province.

Dr. Trina Talaga, provincial COVID-19 incident commander, said returning fully vaccinated residents would be asked to present only a valid identification card and their vaccination card showing they had completed their inoculation against the disease before being allowed to enter Ilocos Sur.

The provincial government decided to further ease its border protocols for the fully vaccinated due to the declining number of COVID-19 cases in the province and its high vaccination coverage.

On Dec. 1, Ilocos Sur removed its COVID-19 testing requirements for the returning fully vaccinated residents. The provincial government also dropped the 14-day mandatory quarantine.

Fully vaccinated tourists are also no longer required to undergo COVID-19 testing when they visit the province, according to the provincial tourism office.

In a statement Monday, Gov. Ryan Luis Singson said the province is being monitored closely for the Omicron variant.

He said the province would not hesitate to bring back all COVID-19 protocols to protect residents.

The latest data from the provincial government showed that Ilocos Sur has 88 active COVID-19 cases out of the 17,666 infections detected since the pandemic began in 2020.

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