This Week in Northern Luzon (December 19 to 25, 2020)

Starting December 12, 2020, Laoag City will be under localized general community quarantine. This decision was based on the significant decrease of average daily positive COVID-19 cases in the province. The local government continues to urge all its residents to not be complacent, stay vigilant, and observe minimum public health safety protocols at all times. [1] The capital was earlier placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) on November 27.

Ten local government units in Luzon concurred to open their borders for inter-regional routes, especially to public utility vehicles coming from Baguio City. Engr. Januario Borillo, Chief of the Traffic and Transport Management Division of Baguio City, said that the following LGUs informed the city that they will be accepting buses and vans coming from Baguio:

• Clark, Pampanga

• Mariveles, Bataan

• San Fernando, Pampanga

• San Carlos, Pangasinan

• Olongapo, Zambales

• Lingayen, Pangasinan

• Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija

• Bontoc, Mountain Province

• Mabalacat, Pampanga

• National Capital Region

Buses from NCR, Bataan, Zambales, Pampanga, and Tarlac will pass through expressways as per the initially agreed guidelines on the operation of inter-regional routes in the city. In coordination with the concerned local government units, the Land Transportation and Regulatory Board should identify common pick-up and drop-off points in the mentioned provinces. These points will provide isolation rooms with medical staff and shall be inside the respective bus and van terminals with a triage area for incoming passengers.

Stop-overs will not be allowed and will only be used during medical emergency cases. Driver and conductor substitution and pick-up of passengers along the route will not be allowed as well. A list of commuter and provincial bus routes will be issued by the LTFRB upon approval of the concerned LGUs.

Baguio will be limiting the number of passengers allowed to travel to and from their jurisdiction every day. The number of buses deployed will be based on the said passenger number. Only eight buses per day are allowed initially, and the entry of those buses in the central triage will have an interval of at least 1 hour. [2]

Go to Yoorekka for more COVID-19 updates in Northern Luzon.