The Zamboanga city government stepped up a campaign against health protocol violations as it moved to keep COVID-19 cases from surging and to prevent the entry of the more contagious Delta variant.

Over 30 people have so far been caught presenting falsified RT-PCR test results. The list includes eight policemen who are now facing criminal and administrative charges after they submitted fake RT-PCR test results at the local port the other week.

Aside from violation of health guidelines, city tourism officer Sarita Sebastian said another problem was the continuous violation of entry protocols by non-Zamboanga residents.

The city government has a policy of requiring RT-PCR results from travelers upon entry into the city.

“It will be difficult for us to monitor and contain the spread of COVID infections without the RT-PCR or swab tests of people coming in and out of the city during this time of the pandemic,” said Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar.

Authorities were monitoring travelers from other Zamboanga Peninsula areas, especially the island provinces.

On Tuesday, July 20, the Zamboanga city government issued an advisory about three people exposed to a COVID-19-infected seafarer from Indonesia, a country with a high number of Delta variant cases.

The group traveled together aboard a truck that entered Zamboanga City on July 16.

The seafarer was confirmed positive for COVID-19 and was isolated. Samples were taken from him for the Delta variant test.

Mayor Climaco appealed to the three to turn themselves in because they could have contracted the virus.

Climaco also called on a 19-year-old woman who earlier tested positive for COVID-19 to turn herself in.

The woman fled from her boarding house before health authorities could take her to an isolation facility. Authorities were tracking her down after she was tagged as a person who posed risks to public health. – Rappler.com