Senate President Vicente Sotto III yesterday said he was strongly supporting Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia and the Cebu Provincial Board’s policy enforcing the the Swab-Upon-Arrival Policy in her province.
Sottos said that the IATF guidelines give additional burden to our Overseas Filipino Workers and Returning Overseas Filipinos by requiring them to spend their time and hard-earned money to stay in hotels and accredited quarantine facilities for a minimum of ten (10) days from arrival.
They are also ordered to subject themselves to a swab test only seven (7) days from arrival.
Sotto said there was no need for Cebu residents, OFWs and ROFs to be undergo quarantine in hotels for 10 days or more.
“After the arrival of the swab, after the negative results, within 24 hours, they are sent home and undergo home quarantine for the remaining balance of the 14 days required,” also said Sotto.
“They will then be monitored by the Barangay. After 7 days, the 2nd swab will be done by the LGU of residence in Cebu,” the Senate leader said. In this manner, he emphasized that the IATF- required quarantine and swab test have not been violated.
He said the purpose for which these protocols were put in place has not been defeated.
“It’s actually a win-win situation for both the OFWs and ROFs and the government,” said Sotto.
According to Sotto, this is an innovative, safe and reasonable protocol especially for our OFWs.
“I’m looking forward that this best practice will be implemented throughout the country,” he added.
As this developed, MayorEdgardo Labella of Cebu Cithy is taking a 3-week health leave amid the ongoing vaccination program and COVID-19 response in the city.
In a press conference, Labella said that he had an ear infection that led to sepsis in early January which risked his life. “I almost died,” he said.
However, he did not take his doctor’s advice to rest at that time due to the second surge of COVID-19 cases in the city after a mutation of the virus was found.
“Now that the cases are manageable, I will heed the advice of the doctors,” he said.
Labella said he will be undergoing a medical workup to ensure that he has no more infections. “Through this, I will just be in the City of Cebu,” he said.
Vice-Mayor Mike Rama will serve as acting Mayor for the next three weeks.
