A question surfaces regarding the need to impose stricter entry protocol here in Bohol.
At least five (5) doctors express their desire to convince Gov. Arthur Yap to impose stricter entry protocol here considering the surge in Coronavirus disease (Covid) cases in the province.
The need for stricter entry protocol came as a report surfaced that a Talibon man who is Coronavirus disease (Covid) positive managed to enter Bohol from the Mandaue seaport in Cebu but was intercepted at the Tubigon port.
The near mishap prompts some of the doctors about the need to revisit the current anti-covid protocol to prevent possible incursions of people who might possess negative real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, but could be infected with the virus, hence bringing the contagion to the province.
The doctors who requested anonymity said that they are also worried about possible surge due to more lenient entry protocol.
They are also worried about the fact that there are 57 active Covid cases in Tagbilaran City alone as of yesterday’s count.
The doctors are asking for the imposition of the protocol where persons arriving in the province will be subjected to another swab test, five (5) days after their arrival in the province.
The doctors intimated to The Bohol Tribune that they will convince other colleagues in the Bohol Medical Society to ask the governor and the rest of the Bohol Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF) to reconsider the current entry protocol as stipulated in Executive Order No. 17-A.
As of 12 noon yesterday, April 10, 2021, the total active cases in Bohol reached 188, with Tagbilaran City registering around 57 cases, according to the report of the BIATF.
POSITIVE PERSON ENTERS BOHOL
Reports reaching The Bohol Tribune on Friday, April 9, 2021, said that a 30-year-old male from Talibon took the voyage from Mandaue to Tubigon, even if his Covid test result is positive.
A source that is privy to the information but requested anonymity, confirmed the report.
The source said that the person, while still in Cebu prior to his trip to Bohol, was issued a certificate of acceptance by the town of Talibon, even if the test result of that person is positive for Covid-19.
Only persons with negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test taken 72 hours prior to arrival here may be allowed to enter the province, according to EO 17-A.
The source said that the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) port police in Tubigon intercepted the person from Talibon for carrying a positive RT-PCR result.
The Bohol Tribune source said that there were 27 other passengers on board the voyage who arrived in Tubigon early Friday morning including a doctor of medicine.
The source bared that all of the passengers, including the medical doctor who are now considered first generation contacts, are under quarantine in their respective LGU quarantine facilities and may undergo an RT-PCR test after five days.
The same source said that the person from Talibon was already extracted by the local government unit (LGU) of Tubigon also last Friday.
Moreover, The Bohol Tribune reached out to Talibon mayor Janette Garcia to confirm the information coming from the source.
She confirmed that the Covid positive male is already isolated in one of the town’s isolation centers.
She admitted that the focal person committed an “honest mistake” for issuing a certificate of acceptance to a person who is already covid positive.
The mayor blamed the sheer number of persons wanting to return to Talibon as the reason for the mix-up and the mistake committed by the focal person.
Garcia said she already added more focal persons to handle certification requests as the number of persons wanting to return to Talibon has increased.The mayor told The Bohol Tribune that the town’s Municipal Inter Agency Task Force (MIATF) will meet tomorrow, Monday, Apr. 12, 2021, to discuss what actions will be imposed on the Covid positive male.