BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - The City Government placed Baguio’s Alert Level 2 under heightened restriction in  view  of the  increasing trend of Coronavirus disease (COVID – 19) cases in the country and the  threat of the Omicron variant.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong issued the guidelines for the heightened restriction set for implementation from January 6 to January 18 in Executive Order No. 1 Series of 2022.

Under the EO, acceptance of leisure and non – essential travel is now limited to 4,000 per day while accommodation establishments must also limit their visitor acceptance to 70 percent of their guest capacity.

The executive order also retained the  provision of  EO No. 139 Series of 2021 that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated adult travelers for leisure or non – essential purpose shall not be allowed entry to Baguio.

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With the Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF – EID) placing NCR, Bulacan, Rizal and Cavite under Alert Level 3, the city government also required fully vaccinated leisure and non – essential travelers coming from LGUs under Alert Level 3 to present negative results of RT – PCR test conducted within three days prior to arrival, or Antigen test conducted within 24 hours prior to arrival.

The same COVID-19 test requirement is applicable to 12 to 17 - year old children accompanying leisure/non – essential adult travelers, regardless of vaccination status.

For Authorized Person Outside of Residence (APOR), essential travel to Baguio is permitted given that they pre – register to hdf.baguio.gov.ph and upon presentation of complete document, especially proof of authorized/official travel purposes.

Other key guidelines include the implementation of general curfew from 12 midnight to 4:00AM and a temporary ban on the sale and consumption of liquor products and alcoholic beverages from midnight to 12 noon.

For COVID – 19 situationer in Baguio, based on the  January 4 (5:00PM) data of the City Health Services Office, a total of 30,167 cases are recorded in Baguio of which 149 (0.49%) are active cases; 29,296 (97.11%) recoveries  and 722 (2.39%) deaths.

On the City’s Vaccination Program, there are 283,689 individuals already vaccinated with at least one dose and 257,361 individuals who are already fully vaccinated or equivalent to 100.96% and 91.58%, respectively, of the city government’s target of 281,000 eligible population. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)