DAVAO CITY - Beginning July 20, all air passengers bound for Davao International Airport will be required to present a negative RT-PCR test result from their airports of origin.
In an advisory issued on July 16 to all air operators, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said: “In coordination with the Local Government of Davao City, all airlines are hereby enjoined to require Davao-based/bound passengers to submit a negative RT-PCR test result, released within 48 hours from the date of departure, as prerequisite for boarding at the airport of origin.”
The advisory, signed by Capt. Donaldo A. Mendoza, Deputy Director General for Operations, also stated: “This measure is intended solely to ensure that the health and safety of the flying public are not compromised in any manner.”
The City Government of Davao on Thursday said that a rapid test result “shall not be accepted.”
“All arriving passengers without this negative test result shall be held at the airport and will not be allowed to come out until they arrange for their testing — at their own cost,” it said.
The city government requested this policy from the national government prior to the resumption of regular commercial flights into the city.
“On May 30, 2020, the City Government requested this policy to be implemented before we started the resumption of regular commercial flights because it was vigorously advised by the Department of Health (DOH) XI Epidemiology Bureau and Infectious Disease Specialists in the Region,” it added.
The local government also said that it reiterated the request for testing before boarding on July 14 after noting that the highest confirmed cases recorded from July 5 to July 13 in Davao City were travellers from Manila.
Based on its COVID-19 situationer for Davao Region, the DOH Davao Center for Health Development has recorded 178 new cases of COVID-19 from July 5 to July 13. Among this number, 111 are from Davao City.
As of 5:00pm on Thursday, 35 new cases of COVID-19 in the region were recorded, bringing the total number of active cases to 347.
“Of these new cases, 30 are from Davao City, three are from Davao del Norte, and two are from Davao del Sur,” the DOH said.
Eleven of the new cases involved Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs) and seven returning Overseas Filipinos (OFs).
The city government said the policy will “greatly help Mindanao in keeping the increasing cases at a manageable level.”