The provincial Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) is planning to require inbound travelers to Pangasinan to secure a travel authority anew before entering the province to mitigate the spike of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.
In an interview on Wednesday, Provincial Health Office (PHO) chief and provincial IATF member Dr. Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman said it was observed that the province had recorded fewer Covid-19 cases during the period when securing travel authority was still required.
“Pinag-aaralan ng local IATF ang muling pagbabalik ng travel authority para sa ating mga kababayan na papasok sa ating probinsiya para kahit papaano ay meron silang medical certificate na masi-secure lamang upon check-up sa kanilang local government unit (LGU) na point of origin. (The local IATF is reviewing the possible requiring of travel authority for individuals entering the province so they would secure medical certificate from the LGU of their point of origin,” she said.
De Guzman said since the travel protocols were eased, travelers were only required to register at the Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-Pass) and at tarana.ph for tourists.
She said it was the instruction of Governor Amado Espino III as head of the provincial IATF to review the health and safety protocols and monitor the Covid-19 cases of the province.
De Guzman said that aside from the easing travel protocols, one of the “contributory factors” of the Covid-19 surge is the intensified contact tracing of various LGUs, as well as the ongoing mass testing being implemented all throughout the province.
She said the PHO will boost the operation of the provincial molecular laboratory, which will have the capacity to test at least 350 swab specimens from the 180 samples per day at present.
As of 6 p.m. on July 13, Pangasinan recorded an additional 85 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 13,239.
Of the total, 11,860 are recoveries with 434 recorded deaths.
Source: Philippines News Agency
