Bohol may soon accept tourists, says Palace

September 28, 2020

Bohol may be the next tourist spot which will accept visitors in the coming days as the country is working to open up its economy, Malacanang said on Monday.

In a televised press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Baguio City has moved its plan to re open for limited number of tourists to October while Boracay is set to accept visitors from places under general community quarantine or modified GCQ starting October 1.

"I understand Bohol might be opening soon, within the month of October, if I'm not mistaken," Roque said when asked of other places in the country, apart from Baguio and Borocay, which could be opening up to tourists.

Roque said that opening up again some tourist spots in the country means that there is a need to balance the economy while trying to protect the health of the people.

Asked if the Department of Health is not worried that once more tourist spots have been opened, COVID-19 cases will continue to increase, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said before a place is allowed to accept visitors, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases thoroughly discusses it.

"That's why there are safeguards in order to prevent the spread of the infection. That's why there are pathways that have been developed, there are specific strategies for testing and isolation that had been discussed and there will be guidelines so that when it (area) opens, we have the safeguard," she explained.

Like the stance of the Palace, Vergeire said the country could not remain in lockdown forever.

"We need to survive and we need to live with this virus, that's what we call as new normal. So, we just need to enforce these health standards that we have to ensure that the infection won't spread when we open the sectors of society," the official added. Celerina Monte/DMS