Iloilo City is on heightened alert against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) even if there are no confirmed cases yet of the Omicron variant.

On his Facebook page, Mayor Jerry P. Treñas announced the city government will test inbound travelers from the National Capital Region (NCR), Cebu, and Boracay Island.

The Uswag Molecular Laboratory will also conduct voluntary testing.

NCR is under Alert Level 3 until January 15.

“We are better prepared now. We have already started talking about the possibility of imposing quarantine for travelers from other places,” Treñas said in an interview Monday.

He urged residents to stop mingling with people outside their households as he emphasized the need to be proactive even if the city has no Omicron variant cases.

“We need to protect ourselves and our families. I am asking everyone to get their booster shots three months after their second dose. We need to have additional protection against Omicron,” he said.

The city government has already requested additional doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines from the national government in preparation for the inoculation of minors aged 5 to 11 years old and completion of primary doses.

“We are targeting a total of 60,000 minors, 5 to 11 years old,” he added. (PNA)