Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 9) — The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases allowed local governments to require negative swab test results before fully vaccinated individuals can enter their jurisdictions, Health Secretary Francisco Duque announced Thursday night.
“The final agreement there is to give the LGUs the option, the leeway, to require RT-PCR testing, so that has been the clarification that has been made,” he said.
Duque explained local chief executives can adjust their travel requirements based on their own risk assessments, and there is no need to seek permission from the IATF to implement their policies.
“They can require depending on the option they wish to exercise kung gusto nilang [if they want] vaccination card,” he noted.
“Ang naging issue sa vax card yung [The issue with the vaccination card was] authentication and validation so yung [the] DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) is working on the digital certification and by July 31st their commitment is to be able to upload the total vaccinated individuals,” Duque added.
Earlier, there was confusion on whether fully vaccinated individuals will still be required to present negative swab test results when traveling.
A resolution was first issued easing travel restrictions for those who received both their coronavirus shots. However, the Department of Health later clarified that local governments may still demand negative swab tests results from travelers entering their respective areas.
CNN Philippines correspondent Triciah Terada contributed to this report.
