By Rey Anthony Chiu | 02:13 PM September 09, 2021
A day after an executive order lifted the mandatory 5 day-quarantine upon arrival of inbound travelers in Bohol, some 721 individuals still remained in their town’s temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.
As to the Emergency Operations Center of the Bohol Inter Agency task Force online dashboard, Thursday at 12 noon, these individuals are still there, even if some of them who do not have symptoms are free to end their isolation.
The IATF along with multiple stakeholders including tourism industry officials, health and medical experts as well as local chief executives recommended for the lifting of the quarantine policy upon arrival.
This, they believed, should help alleviate the burden which local government units have shouldered in maintaining in their quarantine facilities, even for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) negative entrants to Bohol.
Observers have projected that as soon as the mandatory 5 day quarantine is lifted through Executive Order No 44, series of 2021, there should be a slight increase in those on home quarantine.
As long as one is honest enough not to endanger his household, he should at least isolate himself even if he were negative of the disease as the disease incubation could last for five days, mused a Barangay Health and Emergency Rescue Team, commenting on the EO.
If the one freed from the LGU isolation facility is honest and careful enough to protect the people in the households, he will continue his quarantine at home, even if he was freed already, she continued.
According to the EO No. 44 series of 2021, those who are in the process of completing their quarantine as required under Executive Order No. 42, series of 2021, are free to end their quarantine.
However, those who are in quarantine who are exhibiting any of the symptoms of COVID-19 and are waiting for their Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction test results need to stay on quarantine.
But, on the same day, September 9, 2021, some 645 individuals still continue to be listed in the EOC dashboard as still on home quarantine.
Executive Order No. 44 series of 2021 (EO No. 44) not only lifted the mandatory 5-day quarantine upon arrival of inbound travelers, it also allowed persons still on quarantine and who have no symptoms of the disease to end their isolation.
The decision to lift the mandatory 5-day mandatory quarantine policy came considering that the Bohol Covid surge is caused largely by local transmission and not by the negative for Covid inbound travelers.
From the towns too, some 234 Covid patients are confined in the different tertiary, secondary, primary hospitals and infirmaries in Bohol.
Another executive order of the governor, Executive Order No. 4 has tasked LGUs to take care of their patients exhibiting mild symptoms of Covid, as a bid to help decongest hospitals.
The same EO directs LGUS to reposition their medical supplies, personal protective equipment, oxygen and medicines as well as other needs and resources due to the Covid-19 surge. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
