Int’l visitors to Batangas monitored for strict adherence to protocols
BATANGAS Capitol — The Batangas Provincial Government will carefully consider the decision of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 to lift the travel ban in some countries that are on the red list or have high cases of COVID-19 in their territory due to the feared influx of international travelers entering the province.
As of September 6, the NTF has been allowing travelers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia to enter the Philippines, which could cause the influx of international and local passengers in the province due to economic enterprise activities.
Batangas Inter-Agency Task Force Against COVID-19, Governor Dodo Mandanas strongly instructed the monitoring and strict implementation of health and quarantine procedures on Filipinos and foreigners from the said countries entering the province.
He said, Batangas is ready to implement the NTF guidelines regarding international travelers and is also ready to study and review the previous guidelines implemented to ensure that all international travelers are in good health and pass the quarantine procedures before staying in the province.
This step is part of actions and preparations to prevent the surge of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant.
He also shared that medical professionals of the province are monitoring and study for the application of booster shots or a third vaccine for the general population that will further increase the efficacy of the vaccine against emerging variants of the new corona virus. He strongly reminded the Batangueños not to take booster shots immediately, and instead wait for the prescribed 2 doses and single dose of the vaccine to be completed for those who want it.
It has also instructed the Batangas IATF to outline strengthened measures in the COVID response program to curb the rapid transmission of Delta variant in the province, increasing the number of COVID-19-dedicated beds for the expected surge in hospitals across the province, imposition of construction of Temporary Treatment Medical
Facilities in local governments without dedicated COVID-19 facilities, utilization and strengthening of Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams for combating COVID, implementation of strict health protocols in public and populated areas, and strengthening of testing and contact tracing efforts throughout the province.
