BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong here announced that real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests will now be required for people coming to this city effective Friday due to increasing COVID-19 cases in the country.
Tourists are required to present negative RT-PCR test results conducted within 72 hours prior to entry here. They may also have themselves tested at the Central Triage-Baguio Convention Center for P500 and P350 for Baguio residents and workers travelling in and out of the city.
Other travelers required to be tested or would need negative antigen or RT-PCR test results done within 30 days prior to entry are private sector Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APOR) who currently reside or work in this city and travelling daily or weekly through city borders on a home-to-work and vice-versa route and Baguio resident non-APORs returning to the city from personal, leisure, or non-work-related travels in other localities.
Exempted from testing are government APOR on official travel; passing through; drop and go (drivers only); emergency and non-emergency medical cases; cargo, utilities, and those on humanitarian causes.
There are two triages areas here – Triage 1 is located at checkpoints and Triage 2 is at the Central Triage Unit at the Baguio Convention Center).Â
Registration with the city's registration portals is still required –visita.baguio.gov.ph for tourism and personal and leisure travels and hdf.baguio.gov.ph for returning Baguio residents and other traveler classifications.
Magalong said the RT-PCR requirement is just a temporary safety measure that may be lifted once daily COVID-19 cases in the country will decrease or slow down.
He assured transparency in city data on COVID-19 cases and that the city government is on top of the situation as far as infection control and case management is concerned.