Only children below five years old are exempted from travel requirements when entering this city provided they are accompanied by an adult fully-vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF) said.
As of Friday, the city government continues to require those who are five years old and above to comply with the travel protocols set by Negros Occidental and this capital city.
EOC-TF executive director Em Legaspi Ang encouraged parents anew to have their children vaccinated against Covid-19.
“Covid-19 can affect everyone in our family, even our children. Let us all do our part and protect our loved ones so that we can move on to the new normal,” she added.
When traveling to Bacolod, unvaccinated minors aged 5 to 17 must present a negative rapid antigen test (RAT) result with 48 hours validity or a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test with 72 hours validity.
They also need to process their BacTrac contact tracing identificard (ID) and Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage or S-PaSS when traveling via the Bacolod-Silay Airport.
Ang said since the provincial government requires the S-PaSS permit for all travelers arriving at the airport in Silay City, Bacolod residents should comply with the requirement to avoid any travel conflict or flight cancellations.
“There have been instances that passengers already at the airport were not allowed to board because of their failure to present an approved S-PaSS,” she added.
Although Executive Order No. 8 issued by Mayor Evelio Leonardia no longer requires an S-PaSS for Bacolod-bound passengers, Ang said the city will continue its fast approval for Bacolodnons to ensure smooth travel.
Fully-vaccinated travelers are required to present their BacTrac ID and vaccination card while unvaccinated or partially-vaccinated individuals must secure a negative RAT result obtained within 48 hours before they arrived in Bacolod, which is under Alert Level 2 until February 28.
Source: Philippines News Agency