Cebu province drops negative COVID-19 test results from domestic tourist requirements

Negative COVID-19 test results will no longer be a requirement for local tourists who wish to enter the Province of Cebu.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia signed Executive Order No. 12 Series of 2021 on Monday, February 22, which lays down new and looser requirements for non-authorized persons allowed outside residences.

Tourists from other parts of the country who wish to travel to Cebu Province now only have to obtain the following:

• Medical certificate issued by a reputable doctor seven days prior to the travel date
• Proof of pre-booking at any resort or hotel accredited by the Cebu Provincial Task Force.

They must also “pass symptoms checking or screening” at the point of departure and upon their arrival into the province.

Local government units may issue additional regulations but only upon the approval of the capitol and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

This move is yet another attempt at resuscitating the tourism industry in the province after Cebu had just opened up to visitors from other provinces in the country.

This was agreed upon during a meeting between the Cebu Provincial Government and tourism stakeholders in the province.

“As the Provincial Government of Cebu is reviving the economy that has regressed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to ease the travel restrictions of persons travelling into the Province for tourism-related activities in observance to the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines and other resolutions of the IATF-MEID,” the document said.

Meanwhile, active cases in the province rose to 1,215 with 82 new cases tallied on Sunday, February 21. The number of recoveries also rose to 7,860, while the province’s death count is at 443. – Rappler.com