Gov. Arthur Yap

Gov. Arthur Yap admits that there is a 608.3% increase in Coronavirus disease (Covid) cases in Bohol in a span of five days.

The governor made the admission in a social media post on Tuesday afternoon, Mar. 9, 2021.

He said the Health and Medical Task Group of the Bohol Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF) gave him a heads-up about the huge rise of the number of Covid cases here.

Moreover, he said that the increase in the number of cases is coming from the group of returning residents (RR), returning overseas Filipinos (ROF), and suthorized persons outside residence (APOR).

“Sulod sa lima ka adlaw gikan sa 12 ka kaso niadtong Marso 3, nisaka kini ngadto sa 85 pagka Marso 8,” the governor said in his posted statement on social media.

The spike in the number of Covid cases here prompted the governor to issue a new executive order allowing only entry of people to Bohol with negative results of either the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or PCR saliva test result. The swab test must be taken not more than 72 hours prior to arrival.

“Nisugyot sila [medical task group] nga usa lamang nga testing protocol ang ipatuman. Sa maong paagi, atong mapaubsan ang risgo nga matakdan sila [RR, ROF, APOR] sa sakit sa ilang pagpamauli tungod kay masiguro nato ang tanang kasakay nila sa eroplano o barko, negatibo sa Covid-19,” the governor added in his statement on social media.

On Mar. 8, 2021, Yap signed Executive Order(EO) No. 17-A, which allows only people with negative test results to enter Bohol and removing the option to take the Covid test upon arrival here. The same EO reiterated that children, four years old and younger, are exempted from the testing requirement.