Authorities in the provinces can defer the entry of travelers from Metro Manila to protect their constituents from the novel coronavirus, a police official said Wednesday, 3 days into the looser general community quarantine of the urban center.

Individuals who were stranded in Metro Manila before the lockdown eased need to coordinate with the nearest police station before they can go to the provinces, said Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, head of the Joint Task Force COVID-19.

The police officers will coordinate with their counterparts in the provinces, who will then inform the local government that will approve the travel authority for those who want to go to their area, he said.

"Napakaingat ng ating mga local chief executive, lalo na iyong mga COVID-free pa. Ayaw nila siyempre na mapuntahan sila ng mga infected kaya nga gusto nila prepared sila," said police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, head of the Joint Task Force COVID-19.

(Local chief executives are very cautious, especially in areas that are still COVID-free. They don't want to accept infected travelers.)

"They cannot refuse the entry nitong mga taong ito, pero they can request for delay kung pano na halimbawa iyong kanilang facility, kasi may kaniya-kaniya silang protocol," he told DZMM.

(They cannot refuse the entry to these people, but they can request for delay if for example, their facilities are full because local governments have their own protocols.)

Police in the past week processed 50,000 applications for travel authority.

Workers in authorized industries do not need this document and can cross checkpoints between regions as long as they present IDs or employment certificates, he said.

Those on supply runs cannot go to other cities to shop, he added.

DZMM, June 3, 2020