IATF removes travel testing and quarantine requirements.

you can open the floodgates easily one of the worst decisions, wonder if their concrete statues going to get them out of this one, you know that this is not going to end well

 

Everyone will have their own opinion on this, mainly based on their own perception of risk and factoring in age and current health. I see no point arguing against the different views but show a few points from a recent CNN article for those who are unsure what the risks will be from this change in levels of protection.

From: https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/2/27/iatf-uniform-travel-protocols-covid-19.html

* "The task force stressed that minimum public health standards should be strictly implemented. Clinical and exposure assessment shall be done to ensure that only asymptomatic travelers, and those who did not have close contact with COVID-19 patients, can enter the LGUs."

(They have no way to ensure that a person is asymptomatic and no way to ensure that a person has not had close contact with anyone with Covid-19 (not only "patients"), so these criteria are pointless. How many new cases will have started en route if Covid cases are mixing with everyone else??? And this also means that the rule "only .... those who did not have close contact with COVID-19 patients, can enter the LGUs" will require EVERY passenger on any transport (plane, ship, bus) where a symptomatic case is found, to be REFUSED entry. Is that a risk that travellers will take? Or once they grasp this, will they just let the symptomatics through at the destination?)

"Health assessment of passengers, supervised by medical doctors, shall be mandatory upon entry in the port/terminal and exit at point of destination," the IATF stressed."

(I am pleased they will be using 'medical' doctors, perhaps instead of those with a PH.D in sociology, but the first quote shows they are assessing something they cannot assess (asymptomatic disease and recent previous close contact). Again, seems to me to be pointless - and will probably pick up those with raised temperature due to a variety of non-Covid causes. At least that will justify their process, as they cart off dozens of people with a different infection.)

"The Department of Tourism said in a separate statement that the simplification of requirements will encourage domestic travel and help the industry recover."

(This is, of course, the reason for the relaxation of rules and it is understandable why this is desired. But it may be a very temporary situation when, after cases are exploding daily, the whole country enters strict lockdown or people stop traveling because the risks become too high. And, from my point above, how many people will travel if they risk being turned back at the destination because ONE person on the transport was found to be showing symptoms of 'something' that 'could' be interpreted as a 'possible' Covid infection?)

"Amid efforts to reopen the economy, the country records an increase of more than 1,000 to over 2,000 COVID-19 cases daily"

(So, already a doubling of cases! And the new rules are only now being operated nationally.)

To be fair in this analysis, they do say "It also institutionalizes the use of the Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-PaSS) Travel Management System of the Department of Science and Technology, a one-stop-shop for travelers' application and communication needs, and the StaySafe.ph contact tracing app."
“Traze App for airports, and such other existing contact tracing applications must be integrated with the StaySafe.ph System,” the IATF said."

(I have no idea how effective this will be - but 100%? No way.)

"Eased travel protocols may accelerate COVID-19 spread in PH: Implementing uniform travel protocols may pose threat to areas with minimal COVID-19 risk, according to a fellow of OCTA Research team. In a virtual briefing on Saturday, Dr. Guido David of OCTA Research said the move was a "bit concerning" given the new variants present in the Philippines. "Some areas are doing well, and some areas are not doing well. We have to be careful [with] border controls," he said. "We should be concerned. For example, there are tourists from NCR going to Cebu, we already know that there is a variant that is spreading there, (so) we should be vigilant. Dr. David stressed the virus will also spread quickly to Metro Manila's surrounding regions."

(So this is not only my analysis of the 'new normal'. Just in case I receive any more of the 'so why do you think you know anything?' comments).

And for fair balance "Department of Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire in the same briefing expressed support to the IATF's decision. She said that the government's health experts have long recommended the dropping of negative COVID-19 test results from domestic tourist requirements since it was "irrational" to do so. "Sometimes what is used is not an appropriate test; sometimes it is tested but not yet at the peak viral load, we miss the opportunity to detect the virus. So, it becomes inefficient."

(In a final word: Having "inappropriate tests" seems NOT a very good reason to take the dam away and let the country flood.)

Anyone unsure about the situation would be advised to think about the points above - if you welcome the chance to travel then I hope it is enjoyable and you return fit and healthy. I have no desire to feel joy at another person's illness. But, as I have said so many times before, PERSONAL protection of yourselves and your loved ones now becomes imperative - and there is a possibility that a significant number of ex-pats will soon be thinking of leaving for safer climes.

 

I can see some positives - as long as it is not an exodus of the nicer ones.

 

And will ALL the fellow travelers also be quarantined until proven negative - in case they caught the virus en-route from someone who might turn out to be positive? Or, as I suspect, will potentially positive cases be allowed out to mix with the community.

 

It would seem to me that there is a fair amount of disagreement between different levels of government.
As per the original post in this thread, the IATF on the national level has decided that testing shall no longer be mandatory unless the relevant LGU insists on such test.
It further states that for all municipalities and component cities the Province is the relevant LGU level that decides on this (so Dumaguete can not make its own rules).

Then yesterday the provincial governor issued a decree that explicitly makes the removal of the testing requirement mandatory for all municipalities and cities in Negros Oriental.

And then today.............


It seems Remollo (the mayor) and Degamo (the governor) are not on the same page.

 

How will they know if a traveler arriving in Negros Oriental is going on to Dumaguete City?

 

Only way would be to actually man checkpoints and check everyone (can't see that happening).