VISITORS FROM BAGUIO BANNED

BECAUSE Pangasinan is on high-alert over the possible entry of the new COVID-19 UK variant said to be the more transmissible type of the coronavirus disease that already entered the country, no visitors, relatives from Baguio City will be allowed to enter Pangasinan from February 1-15.

This was the advisory issued by Gov. Amado Espino III on January 28 due to the latter’s recent change in quarantine classification from Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) to stricter General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from February 1 to 15.

Espino III already issued an executive order that only visitors from Region 1 (La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte) will be allowed to enter Pangasinan from February 1 to 15 with less restrictions. All region provinces share the same quarantine classification – Modified General Community Quarantine.

From February 1, the province’s border checkpoints will be stricter particularly on Baguio residents who will be required to secure a police travel permit, a medical certificate that will certify that their recent swab tests proved negative.

The advisory will disappoint families here because a number of Pangasinenses are in the summer capital, where they have settled and found work.

The national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) has determined that Baguio City’s record on January 27 showed it had 551 active cases, 18 of which were new, which is more than Pangasinan’s total active cases on January 28 at 540.  

This was confirmed by Dr. Anna de Guzman, provincial health officer, who expressed the need for stricter rules and regulations for those entering Pangasinan from high-risk areas.

Dr. De Guzman said she recommended stricter rules and regulations to be enforced in every border control points in the province, i.e., present proof of negative result of RT-PCR test at least was issued 48 hours before, valid identification card and a police travel permit.

Without any of these, no one will be allowed to enter the province at any time.

“If the visitor will stay for three or more days, he will be required to take an RT-PCR test and get a negative result before he returns to his point of origin”, De Guzman said.

Meanwhile, Maria Luisa Elduayan, chief of the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO), said her office has designed a Tourist Registration app for all tourists visiting Pangasinan so they can easily be traced if needed.

In Dagupan City, Dr. Ophelia Rivera, the city’s COVID-19 focal person, said it is imperative for all people to double their guard against the virus since the new COVID-19 UK variant is easily transmissible by following all the health and safety protocols strictly like the wearing of face mask and face shield, adequate washing of hands with soap and water, maintain social and physical distancing and keep the immune system high with proper diet. (Leonardo Micua)

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