RT-PCR test no longer required for fully vaccinated individuals going to Tacloban City

Tacloban will no longer require negative RT-PCR test results for fully vaccinated individuals going to the city. Photo by Wiki Common.

TACLOBAN CITY — Negative RT-PCR test results are no longer required for fully vaccinated individuals going to Tacloban City. Instead, they need to present a vaccination card or certificate of quarantine completion with vaccination status per the latest executive order signed by Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez today, July 5, 2021.

The said directive (E.O. No. 2021-07-026) applies to all Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APOR), Returning Tacloban Residents (RTRs), transients, and visitors who are FULLY VACCINATED and who intend to travel by land, air, or sea to and from Tacloban City.

According to Section 1 of the E.O., an individual shall be considered as having been fully vaccinated for COVID 19:

1. More than or equal to two (2) weeks after having received the second dose in a 2-dose series, or
2. More than or equal to two (2) weeks after having received a single-dose vaccine;
3. The vaccines administered to the individual are included in any of the following:

• Emergency Use Authorization (RUA) List or Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) issued by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration; or
• Emergency Use Listing of the WORLD Health Organization.

Meanwhile, Sections two (2) to five (5) of the E.O. discussed the requirements needed by individuals traveling to Tacloban City.

FOR A FULLY VACCINATED INDIVIDUAL, they shall be allowed to present either the ORIGINAL copy of their COVID 19 domestic VACCINATION CARD duly issued by a legitimate vaccinating establishment OR a CERTIFICATE OF QUARANTINE COMPLETION showing the holder's vaccination status as may be issued by the BUREAU OF QUARANTINE, whichever is applicable, in place of a negative RT-PCR Test result.

Failure to present either the original copy of the COVID 19 domestic VACC!NATION CARD orCERTIFICA TB OF QUARANTINE COMPLETION, they shall be considered as a non-vaccinated individual and be subjected lo the appropriate provisions of E.O. No. 2021-01-013. 

TRAVELERS COMING FROM HIGH-RISK AREAS, as determined by the IATF, except fully vaccinated individuals, shall now only be required to present negative ANTIGEN TEST results instead of negative RT-PCR TEST results as previously required under 00 No. 2021-04-013. 

ALL TRAVELERS, including fully vaccinated individuals, shall still follow the procedure for registration under the BALIK TACLOBAN PROJECT, including submission of requirements, arrival protocols, quarantine/isolation, and monitoring as provided for by EO No. 2021-04-0l.

The provisions listed in the Executive Order are effective immediately and shall remain effective unless otherwise terminated through a subsequent Executive Order or by a subsequent IATF resolution issued for that purpose.

 You may view the Executive Order here:

E.O. No. 2021-07-026 Series... by iTacloban

—Tacloban News Update