MANILA – The Philippines included foreign travelers from the United States among those barred from entering the country starting Sunday due to the new variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to include US was based on the recommendations of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), said his spokesperson Harry Roque.
Foreign passengers coming from the US, or who have been to the US within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, will be prohibited from entering the country effective on Jan. 3 until Jan. 15.
Those arriving before Jan. 3 will be allowed to enter the country, subject to strict entry protocols, including an “absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period,” regardless of a negative RT-PCR test result.
Filipino nationals will be allowed entry even beyond Jan. 3, but they must likewise undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Duterte earlier extended the temporary suspension of flights from the United Kingdom and the prohibition of entry on all travelers coming from or transiting through the European nation until mid-January.
Also, effective 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 30, 2020 until Jan. 15, 2021, all foreign passengers coming from 19 other countries will be banned from entering the Philippines.
The 19 countries were Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lebanon, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Canada, and Spain./PN
