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The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is considering eliminating testing for Covid-19 as a travel requirement across the country.
DILG Deputy Secretary for Operations Epimaco Densing 3rd, however, said that approval of his proposal would be in the hands of the Interagency Working Group for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
The agency held its final consultation Tuesday with local officials on its proposal to remove the requirement for travel by land, air and sea.
“We are analyzing the possibility of not having more tests [as a travel requirement] because we have talked to the DoH (Department of Health) about this over and over again, “Densing said in an interview with DZMM” TeleRadyo “, when asked about the new policy of the Cebu provincial government that no longer requires Covid testing -19 for domestic travelers.
The DILG official raised what the health department stated last year that testing should only be mandatory for people exposed to or showing symptoms of Covid-19.
Densing said they studied this proposal, which he described as “scientific,” and said it was the product of consultations with epidemiologists and other medical experts.
As long as the person meets minimum health standards, such as wearing masks and face shields, maintaining physical detachment, and washing hands regularly, this would be sufficient compliance, he said.
“So for our travelers, as long as they meet minimum health standards when they arrive at their destination, they would have at least a 95 percent lower risk of transmission,” Densing said.
However, he acknowledged that there are local leaders who “resist” the idea proposed by the department, insisting that the proposal was backed by science.
In addition to the Covid-19 testing, Densing said they were also considering removing other travel requirements, such as the travel order and the local health certificate, which it called “irrelevant.”
In a message later that day, he reiterated that the basis of his proposal was the opinion of the Department of Health, which said that people who manifest symptoms and those who are exposed to patients with Covid-19 are the only people who should undergo testing. the Covid-19 test.
“Finished with the consultations just now and after introducing ourselves to the IATF at the next IATF meeting, we will let the working group [to decide on this proposal]Densing said.
He did not respond to further questions from The Manila Times on what specific details DILG and local leaders agreed on.
Among the local government units that applied this was Cebu, after its governor Gwendolyn García no longer required hyssop tests for visitors entering the province despite the increase in Covid-19 cases there and two cases of mutation.
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