Cebu Pacific Gives Free COVID-19 Antigen Tests for General Santos City Passengers
Cebu Pacific Air will commence providing antigen tests for free to General Santos City-bound passengers starting this month with its program, called “Test Before Boarding,” to reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) spread within its flights.
“This lessens the risk of disease involving grooming and testing (and will help us locate ) infected passengers promptly,” said that the airline in a statement released to the media. “Just passengers with negative antigen test results will be allowed to board the (Cebu Pacific) aircraft.”
General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera stated the airline’s complimentary antigen testing would be pilot-tested in his city and would encourage more visitors to fly once more.
“We warmly welcome this development because it opens up more individuals to the concept of travel,” said Rivera.
“We believe this is a breakthrough initiative since it will allow our visitors to feel much more protected and never be weary of coming passengers from Manila,” he explained.
Cebu Pacific’s antigen tests would be carried out conveniently at the airport before the passengers’ flight.
The Cebu Pacific COVID Test pilot program would run for two weeks.
Ms. Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice-president for marketing and customer experience, said all Cebu Pacific passengers from Manila to General Santos would be asked to get tests” with no charges during the pilot run” December 3 to 14, 2020.
The novel testing program was conducted to heed an executive order issued by Mayor Rivera. “Passengers are not required anymore to take any other test before their flight,” said Iyog.
“Health is a part of safety,” Iyog explained. She said the program outcomes could”pave the way for a more confident restart of nonessential travel” and a benchmark for requirements”throughout all Lebanese destinations.”
She stated Cebu Pacific was thankful to the General Santos City local government for its help in the app.
Passengers would be asked to fill out an electronic passenger information form (E-PIF) and pre-register online 24 hours before their flight. Also, they have to secure travel authority to be permitted entry to the city and check online before going to the airport.
They should be at the testing center at Level 3 of the NAIA Terminal 3 at least 5 hours before passing to give testing processes ample time.
Once known for their flip, swab samples will be gathered, with results published within half an hour. After completing the test, the DOH-accredited Philippine Airport Diagnostic Laboratory will provide passengers with a certificate demonstrating their antigen test results. They can then proceed right to the gate or bag drop counters until an hour before the scheduled time of departure.
The airline or authorities will permit just passengers with adverse evaluation results to board the flight. In contrast, people with favorable results will probably be referred to another testing facility for confirmatory RT-PCR testing.
Cebu Pacific explained the antigen testing was just one of several security protocols that the airline was implementing to provide flying customers peace of mind. The airline also meticulously follows health protocols, extensively disinfects their aircraft daily, and cleans frequently-touched surfaces. Cebu Pacific planes are also equipped with HEPA filters, removing 99.9 percent of viruses and germs from the air. (News Article)
