By HENRY EMPEÑO | January 10, 2022

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Amid surging cases of Covid-19 since the holidays, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Monday began requiring vaccination cards from persons entering the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the measure was needed to prevent further transmission of Covid-19 in the area and maintain the health and safety of stakeholders in this vital economic zone.

Requiring vaccine certification, she said, was just one of the safety measures enforce by SBMA after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) placed Olongapo City, along with Zambales, Bataan and 11 other areas in the country, under Alert Level 3 late last week.

Eisma said that consistent with IATF guidelines, interzonal travel and intrazonal movement are allowed in Subic upon presentation of vaccination certificate showing completed doses. Unvaccinated persons, on the other hand, would have to show negative RT-PCR test results taken with 24 hours prior to arrival.

The SBMA chief further explained that the SBMA considered interzonal travel as high risk because eight of the recent Covid-19 cases in the Freeport involved residents who reported travel to Metro Manila, while five others visited other areas outside of the Freeport.

Monitoring by the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department showed that these 13 travelers had, in turn, transmitted the virus to 12 close contacts. Still two others were infected after receiving visitors from outside Subic, Eisma said.

The active cases rose to a total 36 just after the holidays, causing some concern in Subic, which boasted of zero Covid-19 cases among its residents until Christmas day.

“The rate of increase—36 cases in just two weeks—is quite alarming, so in consonance with IATF resolutions, we have put in place stricter border controls and prohibited certain activities that could further spread the virus,” Eisma said on Monday.

“I have ordered our law enforcement officers to be thorough in checking for vaccination cards at the gates because we cannot afford another lockdown that would curtail business and industry in Subic. We have to be strict because we have to keep the local economy running, too,” she added.

Aside from requiring vaccination cards at the gates, the SBMA also limited the access of some public areas only to fully-vaccinated individuals. These include venues for meetings and social events, amusement parks and recreation venues, visitor or tourist attractions, venues for in-person religious gatherings, as well as restaurants, and gyms and personal care shops, which should all take in customers at 30% of their indoor capacity and 50% for outdoors.

Unvaccinated persons, however, may be allowed in supermarkets and groceries where 30% maximum capacity should be maintained, and inside malls but “only for the purpose of accessing essential goods and services,” Eisma said.

At the same time, the SBMA allowed 70% maximum capacity for public transportation; 30% indoor capacity for face-to-face classes in higher schools; and 60% on-site capacity for government offices.

Meanwhile, the SBMA prohibited the operation of karaoke bars, indoor entertainment venues, kid amusement places, and venues for contact sports except in bubble-type setup.

Eisma said the Subic agency will enforce other measures that will arrest the current surge of Covid-19 cases in the greater Subic Bay area while encouraging stakeholders to get vaccinated for either basic doses or booster shots.

“We intend to contain this upsurge with vaccines and sound science behind basic safety protocols like masking, handwashing and social distancing,” Eisma added. ~