Unauthorized persons are no longer allowed to get into the city starting Nov. 20, to prevent further rise in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.
Mayor Edgardo Labella issued on Monday night Executive Order No. 105, establishing guidelines for travel into the city after 89 coronavirus cases were recorded over the weekend.
“To sustain the flattening of our infection curve and immediately contain the recent increase in our Covid-19 cases, the Cebu City government has come up with proactive measures that include proper guidelines for essential and non-essential travel into Cebu City,” Labella said in a statement.
No person will be allowed entry into the city without presenting an Authority to Enter (ATE) which shall be issued after completing the documentary requirements, depending on the type of transaction, according to the EO.
The requirements should be submitted or uploaded to the government portal www.mics.cebucity.gov.ph/inboundapplication.
To those who are traveling for medical reasons, the person entering the city should submit a negative test result of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken three days from travel day; medical certificate indicating condition or referral note from the hospital or doctor or confirmed hospital admission or laboratory test by the attending physician; and valid identification card.
Employees or officials of government on official business or so-called government APORs (authorized persons outside residence) need to submit a medical certificate indicating that he or she has no influenza-like illness or Covid-19 in the past seven days; travel order or mission issued by the agency head; and agency ID.
The city will only issue ATE to private APORs if they can submit negative PCR test result taken in the last three days; work or travel order from the company indicating the purpose of travel; company ID; travel itinerary in the city for a 10-day duration; round trip ticket or travel details and confirmed booking on accommodation in the city.
Visa applicants or those who are having embassy appointments are required to submit negative PCR test results; a copy of confirmed appointment; valid ID or passport; and round trip ticket or travel details.
“The EO’s listing the requirements for all persons who intend to travel to the city except repatriated overseas Filipino workers and returning overseas Filipinos,” Labella said.
He said the directive prohibits “any person from entering Cebu City via seaports and airports without the proper documents as listed in my EO 105”.
For locally stranded individuals, they must secure a negative PCR test result, a letter of coordination from the barangay of destination in the city; and travel authority from the Joint Task Force Covid Shield.
The EO also said that those who are transferring a cadaver, they should make sure that the death certificate of the dead person is non-Covid; negative PCR test result of companions; and travel authority from the Joint Task Force Covid Shield.
Although the city allows travel for leisure or vacation, the visitors should present negative PCR test results, first 10-day travel itinerary; travel authority from the Joint Task Force Covid Shield; confirmed accommodation booking; and roundtrip ticket.
Those who are covered under EO 105 must report to the receiving village’s Expanded Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams.
“For persons traveling to Cebu City in transit, they shall not be allowed to go out of the seaports/airport and they shall present a subsequent ticket for their intended destination,” the EO read.*PNA
