A party-list solon is appealing to concerned agencies to shorten the quarantine days of arriving international passengers who have been fully vaccinated and negative for the Covid-19 RT PCR or antigen test.

ACTS-CIS Representative Niña Taduran said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) and Department of Health (DOH) should study the proposal of shortening the quarantine from 14 days to three days.

Taduran said long quarantine in the hotel room for healthy passengers is a burden financially, emotionally and mentally and defeats the government’s effort to get the economy back on its feet.

“I suggest that the government shorten this to 3 days during which the onset of symptoms of Covid-19 usually manifest. Kapag negative, dapat i-release na sila sa kanilang uuwian para mag-home quarantine. Walang dahilan para patagalin sila sa hotel ng hanggang 10 araw kung wala namang sintomas ng Covid at negatibo rin sa test,” she suggested.

“Ang mga nagbabalik-bayan ay kakarampot na lang ang dalang panggastos para sa kanilang quarantine. Hindi lang hotel ang kanilang iniintindi kung hindi maging ang swab test, ang maghahatid sundo sa kanila sa quarantine at ang kanilang pagkain doon sa araw-araw. Sabik na rin silang makasama ang kanilang pamilya. Nakakaapekto sa kanila emotionally, mentally at financially ang pananatili ng napakatagal sa quarantine hotel. Nadadagdag pa sa kanilang pananatili sa quarantine ang napakatagal na resulta ng test,” the lady solon added.

She said a shortened quarantine period in hotels will be beneficial economically for the country.

Currently, the government enforces a 14-day quarantine for arriving passengers to the Philippines, 10 of which shall be observed at an accredited hotel or facility, and the remaining four to be completed at home under the monitoring of the local government unit.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Jester P. Manalastas