Dry-run of the implementation of the Quick Response Code System in Bataan. Contributed photo
BALANGA CITY — Effective October 1, 2020, no one will be allowed to enter Bataan without the required Quick Response (QR) Code, Gov. Albert Garcia announced Friday.
The governor said the provincial inter-agency task force has passed a resolution implementing the QR Code System in all the entry points in Bataan in a bid to stop the surge of the coronavirus disease.
Garcia chairs the Bataan IATF.
He said that the QR Code is technology-based and will be in operation through the use of the Get Pass mobile phone application and downloadable for free from either Google Play or Apple App Store.
It can be obtained after downloading a Get Pass mobile app, registering and filling out an online health declaration form and travel authority. To those who don’t own a smart phone, they can secure their QR Code by accessing the website www.getpass.com, the governor said.
The QR code shall be presented at the checkpoint upon entry in Bataan along with additional requirements like employment certificate and personal identification.
For those who travel to Bataan on a daily basis, their assigned QR code/travel pass will be effective for 15 days while the rest will be issued a one-time pass only.
The governor said it is a simplified process but in a big way will help monitor the health conditions of everyone entering Bataan and allow effective contact-tracing on returning residents or workers residing outside the province.
“Contact-tracing is very important in our fight against Covid-19. Only in our ability to identify the source of the infection can we efficiently respond to the crisis in our communities. The QR Code system is consistent with all our efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus and provide more protection to our residents and their families,” Garcia said.
He said that there were pockets of Covid-19 outbreaks in some barangays during the last two months. Contact-tracing showed that these were caused by Bataan residents working in Metro Manila, overseas Filipino workers/seafarers and visiting non-Bataan residents.
They either did not know they were infected with the virus or although with clearance from the Bureau of Quarantine still tested positive when they arrived in the province and became Covid–19 spreaders, the governor said.
“We do not want to overwhelm our health system with the rising Covid-19 cases. An efficient contact-tracing system will help diminish the chances of infection and in the long run, give our health workers the much-needed break they deserve from taking care of the sick,” Garcia said.
He said that the QR Code will also be a useful tool moving towards the new normal as it can be utilized for contact-tracing efforts in business establishments, public transportation and government offices in Bataan.
“In addition to the QR Code scanning, standard protocols will also be observed at the checkpoints: All persons entering the province must wear face masks, must subject themselves to temperature scanning and vehicle inspection,” the governor said.
Garcia warned that those who fail to follow the said protocols or present the necessary requirements shall be denied entry into the province.
