Almost 1,000 LSIs cap mandatory quarantine

CEBU, Philippines —  Close to a thousand returning locally stranded Cebuanos from Luzon have finally completed the mandatory 14-day quarantine in Cebu City.

“Since August 3, we have a total of 972 LSIs who have graduated the 14-day home quarantine,” said Cebu City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) deputy chief implementer, Councilor Joel Garganera.

The LSIs have been monitored by the City Health Department along with the Association of Barangay Councils led by its president, Councilor Franklin Ong.

So far, of those LSIs who have returned here, there were seven who have been found to be COVID-19 positive, four from Manila, and one each from Batangas, Pagadian and Laguna.

Whether or not one is positive, though, all returning LSIs in Cebu City had to undergo quarantine to ensure the public’s safety, taking note of the situation in Bacolod City that the increase of its Covid cases were mostly because of LSIs and returning Filipinos.

For those travelling from Manila, LSIs are required to undergo a swab test here since cases in Metro Manila are high.

For LSIs who want to return to Cebu, before the swab test and mandatory quarantine, they also need to secure a travel authority issued by the Philippine National Police Joint Task Force Covid Shield as well as a letter of coordination from the barangay of residents in Cebu City.

One can also visit www.tinyurl.com/lsicebu to get the contact number of the point person of their respective barangay.

Returning or repatriated overseas Filipino workers though are not covered by the said guidelines, as they are being facilitated by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), accordingly.

Aside from the LSIs and OFWs, Authorized Persons Outside their Residence (APOR) who have travelled to Manila are also have requirements to obtain.

For public APORs or those in the government with official business, they have to have a travel or mission order issued by the head of the agency, certificate of employment except for uniformed personnel plus a valid ID.

For long term private APORs, if they are travelling by plane, a travel clearance issued by the Office of the Mayor of Cebu City will have to be obtained via [email protected] while if by sea, they need to secure a travel clearance/sea cluster clearance issued by the Covid-19 Task Force on Seaports and Port areas.

This can also be secured via [email protected] plus a valid ID.

Public APORs need not to undergo the 14-day quarantine and swab test while long-term APORs have to undergo such protocol.

For short-term private APORs or for those not staying here for more than 14 days, no quarantine and swab test required but they need to submit a swab test result taken three days prior to its departure to Cebu City. — GMR (FREEMAN)