Follow us for updates
© 2022 reportr.world
Read the Story →

Baguio Tightens Borders as COVID Cases Spike Nearby

It's to prevent more infections.
by Clara Rosales
Nov 19, 2020
Photo/s: Unsplash / Carmela Asistio
Shares

Baguio City will tighten border screening starting Saturday after nearby towns saw a spike in COVID-19 cases, its mayor said Thursday.

The Summer Capital earlier formed a tourism bubble with nearby areas and the Ilocos region, with tourists from Luzon permitted entry in October.

ALSO READ: Baguio Considering Tourism 'Bubbles' with Neighbors

According to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, those coming from the towns of Tuba, La Trinidad and Sablan will be met with stricter rules.

"Kailangan po talaga namin higpitan para di kami nagpapalitan ng infection (We really need to tighten our borders so we don't exchange infections.) We were hoping also they will increase their contact tracing and testing capacity," he told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

Magalong, who also serves as the country's contact tracing czar, said other towns have lower testing and contact tracing capacities compared to Baguio City.

MORE ON BAGUIO:

Baguio to Keep Track of Tourists with Online Registry

Continue reading below ↓

Baguio's Antigen Screening Gets Tourism Chief's Support

Boracay, Baguio Reopening Will Be 'Safe and Sure,' Says Tourism Chief

An initial 200 tourists were allowed entry to the city, and was later increased to 500. For now, Baguio is accommodating about 300 tourists at a time. Prior to the pandemic, Baguio saw about 3,000 to 4,000 tourists daily, with weekends bringing in some 7,000 tourists.

The country's contact tracing rate is between 1:7 and 1:9, Magalong said. Efforts to trace COVID-19 contacts are improving, albeit at slow rate. He urged local government units to use the StaySafe app if their areas of jurisdiction do not have digital contact tracing apps.

MORE ON CONTACT TRACING:

Contact Tracing as Easy as Cashless Shopping with Stay Safe App

Flying Out? You'll Need to Download This Contact-Tracing App First

Contact-Tracing Nears Target Capacity of 50,000 Trackers

Continue reading below ↓
Recommended Videos
Latest Headlines
Read Next
Recent News
The news. So what? Subscribe to the newsletter that explains what the news means for you.
The email address you entered is invalid.
Thank you for signing up to On Three, reportr's weekly newsletter delivered to your mailbox three times a week. Only the latest, most useful and most insightful reads.
By signing up to reportr.world newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.