SYNCHRONIZED TRAVEL PROTOCOL. Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas admits to local newsmen on Monday (March 15, 2021) that he is worried about the increasing Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila and Cebu. He said he would push for a synchronized travel protocol for Western Visayas to prevent a similar scenario in the region. (PNA photo courtesy of Arnold Almacen/CMO)
ILOILO CITY – Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas will be pushing for a synchronized travel protocol for travelers to Western Visayas amid the rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Metro Manila and Cebu.
In an interview with members of the media on Monday, he said he is “worried” about what is happening in the National Capital Region.
The OCTA Research Group said if not controlled, coronavirus cases in Metro Manila would increase to 8,000 a day and possibly even spike to 16,000 daily, Treñas added.
“We want to protect Region 6 because since the start of last week, reports about the cases in Metro Manila and Cebu show that the cases are increasing very rapidly,” he said, adding that Covid-19 wards of hospitals in those areas were reportedly already full.
Treñas said he would be meeting with Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and governors of Western Visayas to talk about the synchronized travel protocol for the region.
He said he would recommend requiring a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for travelers taken 72 hours before the trip for the next 14 days.
This would help control transmission of the disease in the region, Treñas said.
Currently, the provinces of Capiz and Antique no longer require RT-PCR test results from returning residents, he said.
Iloilo City, however, requires a negative swab test result taken 72 hours before the travel.
Treñas noted that most travelers to Antique, Capiz or any part of Iloilo, also visit this city. (PNA)
