Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, chairperson of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, issued Memorandum Circular No. 5 series of 2021 on Tuesday night, March 16, which also limits the number of inbound international passengers/arrivals to 1,500 a day “[i]n light of efforts to prevent the entry of SARS-CoV-2 variants from other countries and the further rise of cases.”
Prior to the release of the memo, the Civil Aeronautics Board has announced that it will reduce the number of passenger arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to 1,500 per day from 8 a.m. March 18 to 8 a.m. April 18. Along with the new government interventions, Galvez said that security forces were tapped to strictly enforce the minimum health standards including the tightening of security at COVID-19 designated quarantine facilities and observance of protocols in business establishments.
This month, the country has seen an alarming rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases which Galvez said could be a result of the complacency of the people due to the arrival of the vaccines, and the entry of new coronavirus variants.
Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)