Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – All persons in Pampanga with pending results of their Covid-19 tests are now required, under pain of penalties, to go on quarantine or isolation.
Seeking “efficient epidemiologic surveillance and control” of the coronavirus disease, Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda issued Executive Order No. 20-2020 “Regulating the movement of persons whose Covid-19 test results are pending” on August 10, 2020. It was made public Friday by the provincial information office.
The EO made quarantine or isolation mandatory for “all who have undergone Covid-19 testing and whose results are still pending to quarantine and/or isolate themselves” in officially designated places.
Home quarantine is allowed, subject to the conditions that the person is asymptomatic of Covid-19, has own room with bathroom, and no member of the household is vulnerable or with comorbidity.
Other designated places for quarantine or isolation are duly accredited hotels and other lodging houses; hospitals, health and medical institutions; quarantine or isolation facilities provided by local government units, as well as those provided by employers, subject to same conditions prescribed in home quarantine.
The order also mandated testing centers to “promptly report immediately upon testing to the provincial epidemiology surveillance unit and the city or municipal health office where the individual tested is a resident for proper monitoring.”
Also, to be promptly reported to PESU, CHO or MHO the results of the test conducted upon release.
It is the duty of the testing center to apprise those undergoing testing of health and safety protocols and have them execute a consent form.
Violations of the provisions in the order are subject to prosecution in accordance with the Revised Penal Code, Ordinance No. 755 Series of 2020, and other special laws and ordinances.
The executive order did not make any distinction on the Covid-19 test it covered, whether rapid diagnostic testing or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. — With Pampanga PIO
