Bohol no longer requires 5-day quarantine

TAGBILARAN CITY – Returning residents and visitors will not be required to undergo a five-day quarantine and repeat  RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test result upon arrival Bohol province.

In his Executive Order No. 44, Bohol Governor Arthur Yap said the mandatory five-day quarantine and repeat RT-PCR testing for travelers entering Bohol have been lifted.

However, a negative result from an RT-PCR test conducted within 72 hours before arrival is still required and the travelers have to coordinate with their respective local government units through Department of Science and Technology (DOST)'s Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-PaSS) Travel Management.

When Yap lifted the suspension of sea and air travel to Bohol last Sept. 1, all visitors upon arrival were required to be quarantined for five (5) days in a public or privately owned quarantine facility approved by the local government.

On the fifth day of quarantine period, the visitors will undergo repeat RT-PCR Test. If the result is negative, they will be released. But if the result is positive, they will remain in quarantine and may be allowed to go home only after the result yielded negative.

Yap said data shows that there is low or almost zero positivity rate from arriving travelers and that as manifested by the tourism sector, their guests/clientele normally stay in the resort.

After a series of meetings attended by all stakeholders, including the medical sector, tourism industry and the mayors of the component city/municipal local government units, majority of the mayors approved the lifting of the 5-day mandatory quarantine and repeat RT-PCR testing requirements for travel to Bohol for both authorized person outside residence or APOR and non-APOR.

However, the pre-departure 72-hour negative RT-PCR result and S-PaSS requirements remain.

As of Tuesday,  Bohol has recorded 112 new cases which bring 1,951 active cases.

There were 14, 324  total confirmed cases with  12,051 being recoveries. At least 322 died. -- BAP, GMA News