Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio pronounced that the city government of Davao will still require the negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result to travelers entering Davao City via Davao International Airport (DIA).
This after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases retracted provision in the Resolution No. 124-B issued on July 2, 2021, which said that interzonal travelers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 may only be required to present proof of complete vaccination instead of a negative test result.
The IATF recently announced that the local government units (LGUs) have the discretion to ask for negative RT-PCR test results, in addition to vaccination cards, from travelers before travel or upon arrival.
“Initially, nagsulti ang IATF na vaccine cards na ang gamiton then after two days I think nagsulti sila na they will leave it up to the LGUs so ang atoa is RT-PCR testing gihapon,” the mayor said.
Mayor Sara said the RT-PCR negative test requirement is still necessary since fully vaccinated individuals can still be infected with Covid-19.
“Posible gihapon syang matakdan og COVID-19 all be it mild or asymptomatic na iyang case pero nagadala gihapon sya or posible gihapon sya mag-carry sa virus. So, angay gihapon nga itesting ang mga travelers,” the mayor said.
In March this year, the city government of Davao has implemented City Ordinance No. 0477-21, known as “An Ordinance Providing For Mandatory Testing Prior To Entry Into Davao City Via The Davao International Airport.”