Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. and Mayor Jerry Treñas want the Iloilo International Airport to temporarily stop its flight operations due to the surging number of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila.
“In view of the rising cases in Metro Manila, CALABARZON, and Region 7, Gov. Defensor and I have requested for a moratorium of flights and trips up to April 10,” Treñas said in statement.
The request, according to the mayor, is subject to approval by the National Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
“This will be effective as soon as the IATF approves the request,” said Treñas.
“What we are doing are precautionary measures to ensure that we will continue to control the cases in Iloilo City and the province,” the mayor explained.
Meanwhile, the provincial government and the city government issued separate executive orders (EOs) requiring all individuals bound for Iloilo to secure a negative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result.
Under EO No. 183-M, residents and non-residents of the province need to present a negative result to a COVID-19 test not earlier than 72 hours before their travel to Iloilo.
“[They] shall be examined upon arrival, and those found with COVID-19 symptoms shall be admitted in the appropriate facility for quarantine and treatment,” the EO stated.
“Those found without symptoms shall be free to proceed to their destinations and travel within the province,” it further stated.
On the other hand, all Iloilo City-bound travellers “must secure a negative RT-PCR test result showing that the date of specimen extract or swabbing was made not more than three days prior to the date of travel.”
Iloilo province has the most number of active COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas with 518, while Iloilo City came in third with 302 (as of March 20).IMT
