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Recovery Roadmap: Cebu City accelerates vaccination, relaxes entry protocol

The Cebu City government is eyeing to vaccinate at least 70 percent of its population by yearend, the city health office said. Averaging a total of 2,500 inoculations per day, the local government is hopeful that this target is attainable by December 2021.

After the city’s temporary suspension of inoculation due to the lack of supply, Cebu City resumed its vaccine rollout for its residents last Thursday, July 8. Local health data also showed that as of July 3. 277,514 residents have already registered to be vaccinated.

“We are praying for a fair allocation of vaccines for Cebu City. We have one million population. Our target is to vaccinate 700,000 of the residents, then we need more doses inasmuch as we don’t want to open, then close and open again our vaccination sites,” Dr. Jeffrey Ibones, head of the Cebu City Health Office said to the media.

Cebu City has also been prioritizing the opening of more vaccination sites to accommodate more individuals. Ibones stated that another vaccination site opened last July 2 in the mountain barangay of Cambinocot.

For other Cebu City vaccination sites, click here. 

Easing Travel Requirements

Following the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Cebu City is considering to ease its tourist entry requirements for fully vaccinated individuals. According to the resolution, those who have already received two doses of their COVID-19 vaccine are no longer required to present a negative RT-PCR test result upon entry to the island.

Local government officials have endorsed this domestic travel policy to Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella for final approval and implementation. Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief implementer of the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), added that loosening the requirements for domestic travelers could be seen as an “incentive,” and it could encourage people to register for vaccination as they would no longer have to complete the requirements when they decide to travel to other parts of the country.

As restrictions begin to relax and more residents get vaccinated, local businesses are optimistic for the speedy recovery of Cebu City’s economy, especially in the real estate sector. More premium-grade office developments, such as JEG Tower @ One Acacia, are pivoting their office re-entry strategies and offering safer and healthier spaces for businesses and tenants who want to take the opportunity to invest in Metro Cebu.

READ MORE: Why JEG Tower is the perfect new normal workplace

Want to discuss more business opportunities in Cebu City? Contact Lorenzo Rodriguez at (+63) 917-825-6884. For inquiries and more information, call us at (+63) 2-8403-5519 or send an email to info@kmcmaggroup.com.

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Safe Travel 101: Travelling to Cebu Amid the Pandemic

One year since being the epicenter of COVID-19 in the Philippines, Cebu is on its way to adjusting to ‘the new normal’. After successfully controlling cases and stopping re-surges from happening, the local government of Cebu is now allowing travel for business and leisure for domestic or local visitors.

According to the Inter-Agency Task Force, the whole province of Cebu, including Cebu City, is placed under Modified General Community Quarantine from May 1-31, 2020. Under this classification, essential and non-essential travel is permitted as long as tourists strictly observe the following guidelines.

  • All tourists entering Cebu through the Mactan-Cebu International Airport should be wearing face masks and face shields at all times, especially during their flight.
  • Necessary documents should be prepared and ready before boarding the plane. Passengers with incomplete documents will not be allowed to board.
  • All tourists should present a confirmed round trip plane tickets
  • All tourists should fill out and complete the Cebu Public Health Passenger Locator Form

The travel requirements and procedure implemented in Cebu City is stricter compared to the rest of the province. As set by the Cebu City LGU, the following are the travel requirements for APORs:

Travel Requirements | APOR

APOR, or Authorized Persons Outside of Residents are travelers to Cebu City for official business or employment. According to the guidelines of the IATF, the following are considered APORs:

  • Health and emergency frontline service personnel
  • Government officials and government frontline personnel
  • Duly authorized humanitarian assistance actors (HAAs)
  • Persons traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons
  • Persons going to the airport for travel abroad
  • Anyone crossing zones for work or business permitted in the zone of destination, and going back home

Requirements:

  • Negative RT-PCR result (Test must have been taken 3 days from the date of travel)
  • Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-Pass) Registration (To register: Upload all documents to https://s-pass.ph/)
  • Travel Coordination Permit (TCP) or Travel Thru Permit (TPP) QR

Government-employed or IATF members should also include their valid government identification and mission/travel order.

Travel Requirements | Tourists

To aid the economy of Cebu City, tourists with non-essential travel purposes are also allowed to go to the Visayan capital given that they present the following requirements:

  • RT-PCR Negative result (test must have been taken 3 days from the date of travel)
  • Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-Pass) Registration. (To register: Upload all documents to https://s-pass.ph/)
  • Travel Coordination Permit (TCP) or Travel Thru Permit (TPP) QR Code

Meanwhile, the latest directive from the provincial government of Cebu is not requiring APORs and domestic tourists to undergo mandatory testing or quarantine protocols as long as they present the following requirements:

  • Valid IDs
  • Medical Certificate
  • Approved pass after symptoms were checked and screened
  • Strictly comply with the minimum health standards during their stay

Government APORs are also required to have their original travel mission order by their respective superiors.

Other tips and reminders:

Get your RT-PCR Test from DOH-accredited laboratories

Only RT-PCR test results from DOH-accredited laboratories will be honored and considered as a valid requirement when entering Cebu City. Also, keep in mind that the negative test result should be within the 72-hour window prior to your date of travel.

Strictly observe health and safety protocols upon arrival and departure

Comply with the minimum health and safety standards implemented in the province at all times, from arrival to departure. Have all your travel documents readily available for checkpoints and inspections.

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