IATF lifts suspension of LSI inbound travel in Western Visayas

FILE: Navy ferries locally stranded individuals bound for Iloilo, Cebu (Photo: Philippine Navy/Facebook)

MANILA – The inbound travel by returning residents to the provinces in Western Visayas may now resume after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) lifted its suspension.

“The IATF approves the partial lifting of the temporary suspension of inbound travel by returning residents to Region 6, as approved during the Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution 69 dated Sept. 7, 2020,” the IATF Resolution No. 71 read.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed the lifting of the suspension, saying returning residents in Region 6 may now travel.

“We confirm that the temporary suspension of inbound travel of returning residents in Region 6 composed of Iloilo City and the provinces of Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, and Antique has already been lifted,” he said in a statement.

Any requests for the imposition, extension, and lifting of moratorium by local government units (LGUs) will be decided by the regional IATF and will be enforced by the National Task Force to ensure that the proper process is followed LGUs, he added.

Earlier, the IATF imposed a temporary ban on locally stranded individuals to Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Antique, and Iloilo City upon the request of LGUs following a rise in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.

Lanao del Sur, Bacolod City, and Iligan City are currently under modified enhanced community quarantine, the second most strict community quarantine.

Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Batangas, and the city of Tacloban are under general community quarantine (GCQ) while the rest of the Philippines are placed under modified GCQ.

As of Tuesday, there are a total of 269,407 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country, of which 4,663 are deaths, and 207,352 are recoveries.

In Western Visayas, there are a total of 7,955 confirmed Covid-19 cases, of which 124 are deaths and 4,404 are recoveries.