DOH: IATF lets LGUs decide on requiring COVID-19 test from fully vaccinated travelers

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MANILA, Philippines — The national government’s pandemic task force has agreed to leave the discretion to local government units (LGUs) on whether to require fully vaccinated travelers to present negative COVID-19 test results, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) and LGUs have come up with this arrangement during a meeting on Thursday.

“Napagkasunduan na sa IATF kahapon, and different local government organizations were there. Napag-usapan na sinasabing ang Resolution 101 and 124-B ay pareho pa rin at wala namang contradictions at ipapatupad,” she told an online media briefing when asked of the final protocols for interzonal travel.

“Ibig sabihin, ‘yung recognition ng fully vaccinated, gagawin pa rin ‘yan, but for those local governments na mayroon silang protocol na pagte-test, kung sa tingin nila based on risk assessment nila ay kailangang i-test ang kanilang mga travelers, binibigay pa rin ang authority sa kanila. ‘Yun ang napagkasunduan,” she added.

Full details of the final protocols on interzonal travel will be discussed by presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, said Vergeire.

KGA

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