Bohol borders closed starting August 6 as Delta variant threat looms

All inbound sea and air travel to Bohol will be prohibited starting August 6 as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the dreaded Delta variant of COVID-19 which has already been detected in neighboring cities Cebu and Cagayan de Oro, a Capitol official said Monday.

According to Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Anthony Damalerio, the entry ban will be imposed simultaneously with the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in the National Capital Region from August 6 to August 20.

“We have to prepare kay basig ma-late ta sa atong actions, so while the Delta variant is already spreading…I think sakto man pud ang recommendation sa atong business and medical cluster,” Damalerio said.

The Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) led by Governor Art Yap will convene on Monday afternoon to finalize the order.

“Ga huwat ta sa clearance sa Regional IATF which I think will also consult didto sa national level, we have four days prior to the lockdown so I think mao nay gikabusy-han ni gov and the rest of the officials nato sa BIATF,” said Damalerio.

He added that overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROF) will be exempted from the travel ban.

“ROFs and OFWs og wa ko masayop, maoy agreed upon na magpadayon kay naka quarantine mani sila based on the Bureau of Quarantine guidelines, so magfocus ta returning residents,” said Damalerio.

APORs or authorized persons outside of residence will be required to undergo five-day quarantine upon arrival in Bohol.

Cargo vessels will also be allowed to transport food and other essential goods into the province during the lockdown.

Meanwhile, movement within Bohol will be unhampered as the entire province will remain under Modified General Community Quarantine, the least restrictive quarantine level.

According to Damalerio, an estimated 800 sea and air travel inbound passengers daily will be affected by the travel ban.

“Ang mga barko sakay nato mo abot 400 to 450, ang tulo ka airlines nag average to og tag 100 passengers, so more or less 800 passengers daily ang atong gitan-aw na dili makasulod for the next two weeks,” he said. (R. Tutas)