Negros Occidental, Cebu tighten restrictions for Negros Oriental travelers

Two neighboring provinces ordered stricter border controls for travelers coming from Negros Oriental, as the province battles an ongoing COVID-19 surge.

Negros Occidental banned “all non-essential travel” from persons coming from Negros Oriental, which shares a land border with the province. This is effective from midnight of June 15 to 11:59 pm of June 30, according to an executive order signed by Governor Eugenio Lacson on Monday, June 14.

Cebu province, accessible to Negros Oriental through seaports, required travelers to present a negative RT-PCR test result taken 72 hours before departure from their point of origin or a negative rapid antigen test result taken at least 48 hours before departure. 

The new requirements from Cebu, which also cover persons coming from COVID-19 hotspots Bohol and Negros Occidental, are in effect from June 14 to July 24, subject to extension. Governor Gwen Garcia signed the order on Saturday, June 12. Garcia also tasked the Department of Health to conduct rapid antigen tests to those who cannot present the required results.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes also issued a similar executive order covering his city on Monday, June 14. The restrictions take effect from June 15 to July 24.

On Monday, June 14, President Rodrigo Duterte placed Negros Oriental under modified enhanced community quarantine, the second strictest quarantine classification, from June 16 to 30. Prior to last night’s declaration, the province had been under modified general quarantine since July 2020.  

This comes after Octa Research Group tagged Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental’s capital, as the area of “most serious concern” for COVID-19 outside of “NCR Plus.” 

Negros Oriental currently has the highest number of active cases in Central Visayas at 2,853 according to the Department of Health regional office’s June 14 bulletin. – Rappler.com