The city government has limited anew the number of tourists coming to Baguio since Jan. 6.
In Executive Order 1 s. 2022 issued Jan. 4, Mayor Benjamin Magalong has limited the acceptance of leisure and non-essential travels through visita.baguio.gov.ph to 4,000 daily.
Accommodation establishments are also required to comply with the 70 percent guest capacity limit.
Under the EO, visitors with approved travel requests before Jan. 6 can still proceed with their plans.
The recent EO, however, provided that fully vaccinated leisure and non-essential travelers from areas under alert level 3 must present negative results of RT-PCR test conducted within 72 hours or rapid antigen test conducted within 24 hours prior to their arrival to Baguio or they may undergo rapid antigen testing upon arrival at triage units under the supervision of the City Health Services Office.
Regardless of their vaccination status, travelers aged 12 to 17 must present negative results of RT-PCR test conducted 72 hours or rapid antigen test conducted within 24 hours prior to their arrival or may undergo testing procedures at the CHSO triage units.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated adult leisure travelers are not allowed entry to the city.
The recent EO was issued days after the city government suspended the processing of requests for leisure travel on Jan. 2.
Essential travels for APORs must still submit the documents required at hdf.baguio.gov.ph.
Magalong said the limit and additional guidelines for non-leisure travelers, among the other restrictions imposed in EO 1 s. 2022, is in anticipation of the possible surge in cases brought about by the Covid-19 Omicron variant.
“Since Baguio is a host to a large number of travelers, there is a likelihood that case surge will occur in the city in the coming weeks. Having dealt with the earlier Delta variant and in identifying or appropriate response actions, this is a crucial period to strengthen infection prevention and control measures so that our health care systems and frontliners, as well as the industries that are sure to be affected can prepare for this new variant’s anticipated impact,” Magalong said.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has reverted to alert level 3 the National Capital Region due to the surge in cases.
Magalong said the 51 cases logged in the city from Dec. 26, 2021 to Jan. 1 is a notable increase from the 16 cases recorded a week earlier or from Dec. 19 to 25, 2021.
On Dec. 15, 2021, the city government increased the number of leisure travelers to Baguio to 5,000 a day.
At the time, the City Tourism and Special Events Office said more visitors can be accommodated if tourists booked with accommodation establishments that have their own triage.
The number of approved leisure travels until Jan. 8 is more than 5,000, according to the CTSEO.
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