This Week in Central Luzon (December 11 to 17, 2021)

Subic Bay International Airport prohibits flights from “red” countries.

By: Denisse Shawntel Tan | December 11, 2021

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As Christmas nears, more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are returning to the country to spend the holidays with loved ones after travel restrictions eased locally and internationally. But due to the threat of the new Omicron variant, airports monitor arrivals—which include a ban on flights and tourists from countries under the “red list.” The good news about health status is also abundant in Pampanga: more areas achieve herd immunity and COVID-free level.

Travel Updates: Subic Freeport tightens travel measures and the arrival of OFWs; no tourist or OFWs from “red countries”.

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) announced in a statement last December 5 that despite the ease in travel restrictions, Subic Bay International Airport will continue to step up precautions on OFWs arrivals due to the national government’s repatriation program [1]. Their travel safety measures include prohibiting flights and tourists from countries under the “red list” since these countries recorded the new Omicron variant cases: OFWs and tourists from countries like Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, and Botswana. Aside from these countries, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) also placed Hungary, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy under the red list until December 15.

The repatriation program began in early July 2020, where 42 OFW flights and arrivals were recorded in the Subic airport. More flights are expected due to the holiday season.

Shopping News: SM City Pampanga adjusted holiday mall hours

SM City Pampanga announced their mall holiday schedule for December and the holiday season. From November 29 to January 2, 2022, the mall is open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM [2]. As for December 24 and 31, the mall is open from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM; on December 25, 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. The mall is open from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM on January 1, 2022.

The schedule for the supermarket are as follows:
● 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM November 29 to December 19
● 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM December 11 to 23, 26 to 30
● 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM December 24 and 31
● 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM December 25 and January 1, 2022.

This Week in Central Luzon (December 11 to 17, 2021), travel

Health News: Angeles City Now Achieved Herd Immunity; four towns also COVID-19 free

The Department of the Interior and Local Government announced and confirmed that Angeles City in Pampanga had reached herd immunity status as of December 7 [2]. Angeles City is now one of the 23 cities in the Philippines to do so.

As of December 7, about 321, 977 Angeleños are inoculated with their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine; 264, 824 are fully vaccinated due to the efforts of health care workers and vaccine programs like Ronda Bakuna sa Barangay and Sundo Bakuna.

In addition to Angeles City, four towns in Pampanga also achieved COVID-free status: San Luis, Minalin, Apalit, and Sasmuan all recorded zero active COVID-19 cases. Mexico City holds the most cases as of December 5 with 19 active cases followed by Floridablanca with 18 active cases, and Guagua with 13. Also, 16 other towns in Pampanga recorded lesser active cases over the week. No deaths were also recorded in the province recently [3].

Visit Yoorekka Magazine for more travel and COVID-19 updates and guidelines in Central Luzon!

All details and information in this article are true and accurate as of the publication date. However, while we are making our utmost effort to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the condition surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be unpredictable, and the situation develops rapidly. Hence, some information and recommendations may have changed since this article was published. For the latest advice, visit DOH and your LGU's official websites.

Sources:
[1] https://bit.ly/3yeoJpS
[2] https://bit.ly/3rTgLkT
[3] https://bit.ly/3GyVssX

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About Denisse Shawntel Tan

Denisse Tan is currently a work in progress: she’s an aspiring writer, artist, and fashion designer! She’s trying to figure out how to manage her time in achieving all of her goals while also taking in life as humanly possible. Aside from art, she’s a big fan of the color pink, disco music, Bratz dolls, and Genshin Impact. By age 35, she plans to travel to New York City 🗽.

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