The Provincial Government of Davao Del Norte has adopted the implementation of the National Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), to require RT-PCR test results from unvaccinated government or private employees, every 14 days before entering their respective workplaces starting on December 1, 2021.
Dr. Alfredo Lacerona, the Provincial Health Officer of Davao Del Norte, clarified during the recent episode of Kapihan sa DavNor, that the national IATF already issued a new guideline requiring on-site unvaccinated workers, to produce with their own expense, a negative Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) test results every 14 days starting on December 1, 2021.
“Naa nay issuance ang atong national IATF nga kadtong naa sa government employee or bisan gane sa private companies nga kadtong mga employee na wala pa nabakunahan dili sila pasudlon sa opisina or ginarequire sila na every 14 days magpaswab ilahang gasto,” (Our national IATF already issued a guideline mandating government offices or even private companies with unvaccinated employees to deny them of entry to their respective offices unless they could produce RT-PCR test results every 14 days), Dr. Lacerona explained.
Dr. Lacerona also weighed the impact of reporting for duty unvaccinated against employees’ freedom not to get inoculated.
“Actually na-issue na siya kay wala kuno silay katungod nga mudili pero mas dako man ang kadautan nga mahitabo kung sila ang manakod didto sa ilang mga ka-opisina kay lage dali sila matakdan kay wala man silay bakuna,” (It was also criticized for taking away employees’ choice, but the risk they bring to their coworkers is destructive since they are more susceptible to the illness for not being vaccinated), his statement reads.
As a response to the national mandate, Dr. Lacerona said that the same measures were taken by the provincial government already.
“Diri pod sa atoang probinsya naa nay nigawas nga bago nga memo sa atoang probinsa nga kadtong mga empleyado nga wala nagpabakuna, ingon ana gihapon ang himoon nga every 14 days sila nga magpa RT-PCR,” (Here in our province, a new memo has come out mandating those employees who have not been vaccinated,to produce their own RT-PCR every 14 days), he added.
The new guideline was mentioned by the Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque during the Laging Handa Public briefing on November 12, 2021. (PIA XI Davao del Norte/jmda/Ezri M. Coda, Jr.)
