Surigao Norte lifts RT-PCR requirement for fully vaxxed travelers
By Alexander Lopez
The provincial government of Surigao del Norte on Friday decided to allow travelers to enter the province even without a reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, so long as they have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The new policy came via Executive Order (EO) 21-043 issued by Surigao del Norte Governor Francisco Matugas, who noted the decreasing number of Covid-19 infections in the province.
“As a matter of fact, the municipalities located in Siargao Island continuously registered zero Covid-19 active cases since Nov. 28, 2021, up to the present,” Matugas said.
Vice Governor Nilo Demerey Jr. of neighboring Dinagat Islands, who made a representation to the city government of Surigao earlier this week asking for consideration to allow fully vaccinated residents of Dinagat Islands to enter Surigao City and Surigao del Norte, welcomed the development.
“We are thankful to Governor Matugas for issuing the EO. The RT-PCR requirement even to our fully vaccinated residents has affected us a lot, especially in our business and economy. Surigao is among the major trading and marketing posts of Dinagat Islands,” Demerey told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
He said he had an audience on December 7 with Mayor Ernesto Matugas Jr. and the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) of Surigao through Vice Mayor Ernesto Matugas Sr., asking them to take some measures to allow Dinagatnons who are fully vaccinated to enter the city and the province.
Demerey said the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) of Dinagat will also pass a resolution that would allow fully vaccinated individuals to enter their province without requiring them to present a negative RT-PCR.
“We will make this measure on Tuesday (December 14) during our regular session. We will also pass a resolution thanking Governor Matugas and the leaders of Surigao del Norte and Surigao City the issuance of the new EO,” he said.
The Department of Health 13 (Caraga), in its Covid-19 update on Friday, reported zero infections in Surigao del Norte. (PNA)
