By Rey Anthony Chiu | 12:36 PM December 03, 2021
Returning Boholanos can still use their vaccination cards until December 31, 2021, in lieu of the vaccination certificates.
This as Governor Arthur Yap issued Executive Order No. 52-D, which effectively amended the three preceding orders especially on the use of vaccination cards and authenticated vaccination certificates in place of the costly coronavirus disease test by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).
Issued on December 1, EO 52-D extended the EO 52-A which allowed fully vaccinated individuals to present as their entry document to Bohol, their validated and authenticated vaccination certificate.
It may be recalled that the governor earlier issued EO 52 on October 33 which lifted the negative for coronavirus disease in attest result validated by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) as entry to Bohol requirement by fully vaccinated individuals.
However, the requirement for vaccination certificate proved to be a tough-to-comply document, as several local government units failed to immediately update their vaccination records and upload the same to the Department of Health (DOH) website.
The uploaded files from the vaccinating LGUs provide the data for the DOH to give out the vaccination certificates.
With this new predicament, the governor issued on the trail of EO 52, EO 52-A, which temporarily allowed fully vaccinated individuals who wish to return to Bohol to present his duly signed and authenticated vaccination card, along with a government-issued identification card and an approved s-pass in the absence of vaccination certificate. The order is until November 30.
A few days later, another EC, EO 52-B, which temporarily accepted vaccination cards in the absence of vaccination certificates and streamlined the travel requirements for inbound vaccinated individuals.
The subject EO 52-B lists the vaccination card issued by the LGU or DOH accredited medical institution, government issued ID and s-pass, whether approved or pending approval.
The same EO 52-B lifted the endorsement list requirement which lists the approved travelers who could buy their tickets and are allowed to0 board the vessel to Bohol.
On the issue that focal persons could not immediately act on the travel application, the order allows the traveler to show approved or pending s-pass application, with the vaccination card and government-issued ID.
For unvaccinated individuals, the negative test results for COVID via RT PCR is still needed, while kids 4 years old and below are exempted from the RT PCR requirement.
And then, there was EO 52-C, which expanded the exemption of the TR PCR test from 4 years old and below to 11 years old and below. And cancels the Barangay Certificate and Letter of Acceptance as a previous travel document requirement.
Last December 1, the governor issued yet again another EO, EO No 52-D, which extended the use of vaccination cards in the absence of vaccination certificate, from December 1-31.
The order said the continuing mass vaccination program of the National Government and the LGUs would further delay the uploading of vaccination data to the DOH website, thus the need to extend the effectivity of the previous order. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)