(Photo from Manila DEPW)
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases has given local government units (LGUs) control over the easing of community quarantine age restrictions for tourism purposes.
In IATF Resolution No. 84, the task force said age restrictions for travelers for tourism purposes could be relaxed upon the determination of local government units.
Age restrictions bar persons below 15 and over 60 to leave their areas of residency, along with pregnant women and those with health risks.
However, in the latest amendments to its omnibus guidelines, the IATF said the LGUs can consult with the Department of Tourism, Department of Health and the Department of the Interior and the Local Government in crafting guidelines to relax such measures for tourism.
In a bid to revive the tourism sector clobbered by the pandemic, the government has reopened tourist spots such as Boracay, Baguio and Bohol.
Reviving the tourism sector was necessary to cushion the impact of the recession the Philippine economy entered into last August, according to Malacañang.
As of Nov. 20, the Covid-19 pandemic has infected 415,067 Filipinos. John Ezekiel J. Hirro