Abra Governor Maria Jocelyn Bernos on Monday announced on her official Facebook page that the province would reimplement strict border and entry protocols as a precaution against the possible entry of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

This, as the Department of Health (DOH) in Cordillera reported that the province remains to have zero active cases of the viral infection.

“We will again be strict in our entry protocols starting tomorrow. The S-PaSS (Safe, Swift and Smart Passage) system for all incoming individuals (residents and non-residents; APOR (authorized persons outside the residence) or non-APOR; vaccinated or non-vaccinated,” Bernos said in her post in the Ilocano dialect.

“We hope we can delay the entry of the Omicron variant in our province,” she added.

Bernos said imposing stricter protocols is necessary due to the DOH’s confirmation of the entry in the country of Omicron, which is a more contagious variant of Covid-19.

She also cited the increasing Covid-19 cases in the country and the placing of Metro Manila under Alert Level 3.

She said she would issue an executive order to give details on the restrictive entry protocols.

In November last year, the province of Abra was the last province in the region to loosen border control measures to control and manage the Covid-19 cases even if its numbers started to go down. (PNA)