Tourists who faked COVID-19 test results arrested in Boracay

 

Carla Suner

Six tourists were arrested in Boracay on Monday for fake COVID-19 test results.

Of the six results submitted by the group from Luzon, only one was found to be authentic. The accredited testing center where the swab test took place also verified that only one of them was swabbed. They entered Boracay Island on Saturday, Dec. 5. In a press conference Tuesday, Aklan Police Provincial Director PCol Esmeraldo Osia Jr. said the suspects holed up in their hotel room when they found out police were after them. They surrendered Monday evening. Osia said the incident should serve as a warning to others who planned on doing the same. "Makakapasok man sila, mahuhuli pa din," he stressed. [Translation: They will be caught even if they manage to slip through.] The suspects are now housed in a quarantine facility in Kalibo where they will undergo swab testing and 14-day quarantine. Boracay reopened to tourists from areas under general community quarantine on October 1, but with strict measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Visitors must have a negative result on a PCR, or polymerase chain reaction test, 48 to 72 hours prior to their travel to the famous tourist destination, and they must have pre-arranged reservations. Tourists are required to wear face masks unless during swimming sessions. There's no liquor ban on the island but discos and bars remain closed.