Tourists and authorized persons outside residents (APOR) who want to enter Bohol may now submit saliva test results as part of the requirements.
This comes as Gov. Arthur Yap signed Executive Order (EO) No. 9 series of 2021 amending EO 53 and 54 series of 2020. He signed the new EO on Feb. 2, 2021.
The new EO says Bohol authorities will now accept saliva test reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test in lieu of the swab test RT-PCR for tourists wishing to enter Bohol’s tourism bubble and APOR who are assigned to work or do business in the province.
Tourists and APOR are required to provide negative RT-PCR test results taken 72 hours prior to arrival in Bohol. The new EO allows tourists and APOR to submit a repeat negative saliva test result taken five (5) days after arrival if they want to leave the tourist bubble or APOR work bubble respectively.
Last month, the Department of Health (DOH) approved the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) proposal to use saliva tests to detect Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid.
However, this type of test will be allowed only in PRC laboratories for now, the DOH says.