Put up quarantine facilities, Boracay hotels told

 

Hotels and establishments in Boracay Island have been ordered to establish their quarantine facilities after the recent case of three guests who entered the world-famous beach carrying fake Covid-19 swab test results.

Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores included villages and local government offices in the order.

“Upon assessment of the health safety officer that a tourist is showing Covid-19 symptoms, he/she must be referred to the response team of the Ciriaco Tirol Hospital (in Boracay) for proper management,” he said.

Miraflores issued the executive order after the Provincial Health Office and Department of Tourism’s (DoT) report of three National Capital Region (NCR) tourists who presented negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results on 21 January.

They later turned out positive and are currently quarantined at Aklan Training Center.

A similar case occurred in December involving six guests.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said Thursday those involved in tampered swab test results should be charged.

“Tampering of documents has criminal liability, including imprisonment,” Panelo said in his daily online program “Counterpoint.”

Those involved in tampering of test results endanger the lives of people in the island and those whom they meet while traveling, he added.

“You are bringing virus into the hotel and in other areas you visit like restaurants. If you want to die, you should spare the others,” Panelo added. “Local government units should strengthen the campaign against those involved in tampering of swab results.”

At least 30 tourists have attempted to enter Boracay using fake negative RT PCR test results since 6 December 2020.

A total of 11,898 tourists went to Boracay in January, 8,951 of them from the NCR.