PILI, CAMARINES SUR, July 6 (PIA) – With the exponential rise of positive COVID-19 cases in the province, Camarines Sur Governor Miguel Luis Villafuerte issued Executive Order No. 9, series of 2020 ordering the strict implementation of various measures at the provincial borders to contain the COVID-19 virus.

Land Transportation Office (LTO) Regional Officer Glenn Mancera check arriving vans for their franchise. (Photo courtesy of Camarines Sur Provincial IMT-Joco C.)

On Sunday, Camarines Sur Provincial Incident Management Team (IMT) apprehended a total of 11 colorum vans and listed down 24 passengers and drivers who tested positive after the administration of Rapid diagnostic test or RDT at the Del Gallego border.

Section 4 of the said EO firmly imposes the mandatory conduct of COVID-19 RDT to all passengers or persons coming or returning to the province at the RDT center set at the provincial border in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur. Those whose tests yielded positive will no longer be allowed to go home but shall be brought to the designated quarantine or isolation facility for quarantine and swab-testing or the conduct of real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test.

Stricter border control and checkpoints will also be imposed particularly in the province’s borders in Del Gallego and at Brgy. Agos, Bato, Camarines Sur. These shall be manned by personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP), and will be assisted by other augmentation groups coming from various government law enforcement agencies.

Necessary inspection procedures will be conducted to ensure that quarantine protocols are not violated, including the mandatory showing of health and medical certificate. Passengers shall present a health or medical certificate stating that they are negative for COVID 19 with the validity of 3-day period from its issuance to the bearer’s arrival.

RDT Area for arriving passengers / individuals located at the Del Gallego, Camarines Sur border. (Photo courtesy of Camarines Sur Provincial IMT-Joco C.)

Exempted in this provision are; government officials and employees in the actual performance or duty , or on official business, or with travel orders, especially those involved in health and emergency frontline and other critical services and responders of the province for COVID-19, provided that they are wearing identification cards duly issued by their respective IMTs.

Workers of establishments or industries which were permitted to operate are also exempted but they have to present their company IDs or company certification.

Exemptions also apply to; persons working in export-oriented industries, outbound passengers intending to depart from the country, persons travelling for medical or humanitarian reasons, uniformed personnel on official business and duly authorized humanitarian assistance actors (HAAs).

Other persons transported through the effort of the national government upon observance of the necessary quarantine protocols and with the concurrence of the receiving LGU and movement of all types of cargoes, provided the drivers and their crew shall be required to present a health or medical certificate if point of origin is outside of the Bicol Region. (LSMacatangay-PIAV/Camarines Sur)