The Regional Inter-Agency Task Force – 7 for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (RIATF7-MEID) asked the National IATF to exempt outbound Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs) in Cebu City from the travel ban.
It passed Resolution No. 14, series of 2020 Entitled A Resolution Requesting the National Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to Allow Outbound Locally Stranded Individuals in Cebu City to be Exempted from the Travel Ban Amid the Enhanced Community Quarantine.
The resolution was passed on July 11, 2020 when Cebu City was still under ECQ. The city is now placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine from July 16 to 31.
For areas under ECQ and MECQ, public transportation shall be suspended and the movement of all residents shall still be limited to accessing essential goods and services, and for work in permitted offices or establishments or such other activities listed under the IATF Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines.
The movement of LSIs going to and coming from Cebu City is likewise temporarily suspended since June 19 following the directive of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año. The suspension has not yet been lifted as of this writing.
RIATF7-MEID sought the permission of the National IATF to allow outbound LSIs in Cebu City to be exempted from the travel ban, provided that all requirements under the National Task Force Against COVID-19 Order No. 2020-02 and DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-087 are complied with prior to their return to their respective places of residence/home origin. The LSIs will also be subjected to local health protocols imposed by the receiving local government units that are consistent with IATF policies.
“WHEREAS, the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force – 7 for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (RIATF7-MEID) saw the need to allow outbound LSIs in Cebu City to be exempted from the travel ban as they have been stranded for some time in the city and have therefore run out of resources to support their daily living,” its resolution stated.
RIATF7-MEID Chair and DILG-7 Director Leocadio Trovela thus requested the affected LSIs to keep posted for the action of the National IATF on the request.