PH
imposes travel restrictions to six additional countries with new COVID-19
variant
Effective
tomorrow, January 8 until January 15, 2021, travelers from Portugal, India,
Finland, Norway, Jordan, and Brazil or those with travel history to these
countries 14 days prior to their arrival, will be subject to travel
restrictions and/or quarantine and testing protocols upon arrival in the
Philippines, in light of the new COVID-19 variant.
“Ang
mga banyagang pasahero na manggagaling sa anim na bansang ito, or nagpunta sa
mga nasabing bansa ng labing-apat na araw bago dumating sa Pilipinas, ay pinagbabawalang
makapasok sa Pilipinas,” said Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque
Jr in a press briefing in MalacaΓ±ang on January 7, 2021.
The
Palace official said that Filipinos are exempt from the travel restriction as
they will be allowed entry to the country even if they came from or have been
to the said countries within 14 days before their arrival. However, returning
Filipinos will have to comply with the 14-day absolute facility-based
quarantine, even with a negative RT-PCR test result.
With
the expected surge in COVID-19 cases because of the Christmas and New Year
celebrations, and with the possible entry of the new variant, the Palace
spokesman said that it was necessary to impose such restriction. “Yung
temporary travel ban ay hindi naman po masyadong matagal po, January 15, at ito
po ay para mabigyan naman pagkakataon makapaghanda tayo kung magkaroon nga ng
surge ng kaso,” said Secretary Roque.
“Pero
ang mabuting balita naman at salamat sa Panginoon, so far, hindi pa naman natin
nakikita yung surge na galing po ng Pasko at Bagong Taon. Pero pinaghahandaan
po natin yan. Kaya nga nagkaroon tayo ng temporary travel ban hanggang January
15,” Sec. Roque said.
Roque
added that foreign passengers who will arrive before January 8, 12:01 AM,
Manila time, from the said countries or who have travelled to the same
countries within 14 days, will be allowed entry but will have to undergo an
absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, even with a negative RT-PCR
test result.
The
Palace official further said that foreign and Filipino passengers who merely
transited from the said countries will be allowed entry as long they do not
leave the airport during layover or were not cleared for entry in the layover
country. These transiting passengers will be allowed to do home quarantine if
they obtain a negative RT-PCR test result.
“Pero
kung ang transiting foreign passengers na ito ay umalis ng airport or pinayagan
makapasok sa mga bansang kasali sa travel restrictions ay hindi sila maaring
makapasok sa Pilipinas,” Roque clarified.
But
for transiting Filipino passengers, even if they leave the airport or were
cleared for entry in any of the countries in the list of countries with travel
restrictions, they will still be allowed to enter the country but will be
required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period even
with a negative RT-PCR test result.
Meanwhile,
Sec. Roque said that the Office of the President also provided a ruling with
regard to unaccompanied minor Filipino citizens from countries with travel
restrictions. These unaccompanied minors will not be allowed entry to the
country until January 15, 2021. Unaccompanied Filipino minors will only be
allowed entry if they are included in the government’s repatriation program,
after which they will be endorsed to an Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
house parent, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), to ensure their safety and their adherence to quarantine
protocols.
If
the unaccompanied minor is not included in the repatriation program of the
government, and arrived before January 8, they will be turned over to a DSWD
officer who can ensure their safety and their observance of quarantine
protocols.
Accordingly,
the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) issued
exemptions to the travel restrictions and quarantine and testing protocols for
arriving passengers from countries where the Philippines’ travel ban applies.
Local/accredited foreign diplomats and international organizations like the
World Health Organization and United Nations will be exempt from the quarantine
protocols but they will need to take an RT-PCR test upon arrival in the
airport, execute an undertaking, and observe 14-day quarantine. Foreign
dignitaries are also exempt but would also need to observe testing and
quarantine protocols.
Those
who travel for medical and emergency cases, including their medical escorts,
are likewise exempt from the said travel restrictions, while those with highly
exceptional and/or medical reasons as evaluated by the Department of Health,
will be exempt from the quarantine protocol. The IATF also ruled that
individuals who have been vaccinated in other countries will still have to
undergo mandatory testing and quarantine protocols upon arrival in the country.
### OPS-PCOO
