DAVAO CITY —The city government has required Davao-bound passengers to test negative of COVID-19 through RT-PCR before exiting the Davao Airport, starting Wednesday, July 22.
This, after the data from the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit showed that the highest confirmed Covid-19 cases in Davao City were air travelers from Manila and Cebu.
Given this condition, the city government put up a holding area for arriving passengers with expired Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT PCR) swab test results — and those who failed to have themselves tested at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport.
City Health Officer Dr. Josephine Villafuerte said arriving passengers for RT PCR swabbing will need to temporarily stay in the isolation area in order not to expose their families if they turn out positive.
Angel Sumagaysay, the Head of the Public Security and Safety Command Center (PSSCC), said the holding area is for arriving passengers whose negative RT PCR test result has lapsed the 72-hour requirement or failed to get tested at all.
The airport holding area is only one of five (5) holding areas arranged by the city government for arriving passengers in Davao City.
They will be held up to 24 hours at the facility until their results come in.
Sumagaysay is asking the air passengers who are bound to Davao Airport with no negative test result for COVID-19 to understand that they need to be placed in a holding area for their RT PCR while waiting for their test result.
The city government instituted this scheme to further avoid the spread of Covid-19 infection among household members.
According to Sumagaysay, the holding area, which can cater to up to 50 people, is equipped with folding beds and mattresses for passengers waiting for their test results.-with CIO report
