Arguably the country’s most popular beach, Boracay is opening to tourists from across the country who are looking to soak up some sun and sand starting Oct. 1, the Tourism Department said today.
But there’s a catch: only beach-goers aged below 21 and above 60 years old without “comorbidity” or existing chronic diseases are allowed to visit the island.
All travelers are also required to test negative on swab tests “48 to 72 hours prior to traveling to Boracay,” and are advised to go on a “strict quarantine immediately after a test and until the time of travel to the island,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.
Her department also advised airlines to use the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport in Caticlan as the sole airport of entry to the tourist destination.
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Boracay closed its beaches in March due to the pandemic but reopened to neighboring Western Visayas residents including the rest of Aklan, Capiz, Bacolod, and Iloilo in June. Nearly 200 hotels and resorts with 4,416 rooms were allowed to operate since then.