US among countries with
travel restrictions to PH

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan 5. (PIA) -- Foreign passengers coming from the United States (US) or those who have been to the US within the last 14 days immediately preceding their arrival in the Philippines are now banned from entering the country starting Jan. 3 until Jan. 15, 2021.

This as the country attempts to prevent the entry of a new strain of the Sever Acute Respiratory Syndrome Novel Coronavirus (SARS N-COV-2) variant called B.1 1.17 or VUI 2020/12/01 first detected in the United Kingdom. 

However, for Filipino citizens coming from the US, or those who have been to the US in the last 14 days immediately preceding their arrival in the country, even those who arrive after Jan. 3, 2021, they are allowed entry but are required to undergo facility-based 14 days of quarantine, even if they tested negative through Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) assay, according to the new memorandum. 

For foreign passengers from the US or those who have been to the US within the last 14 days before arriving in the Philippines, arriving earlier than 1:00 AM of Jan. 3, 2021, they are required to undergo absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine, even if they tested negative through an RT PCR test.

The above measures are the latest protocols contained in a memorandum from the Executive Secretary, relative to the SARS COV2 variant detected in the United Kingdom, which Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdia signed on Dec. 31, 2020.

The memorandum, according to the executive secretary, takes into consideration the joint recommendation of the Department of Health and the Department of Foreign Affairs and in consultation with other agencies as well as the provisions of the memorandum of the Executive Secretary issued Dec. 29, 2020.

It can be recalled that on Dec. 29, the Executive Secretary, with the approval of the President, announced the temporary suspension of flights banning the entry of passengers from or transiting through the United Kingdom until Jan. 15, 2021. 

Other than the UK, foreign travelers who may have been to Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, The Netherlands, Hongkong, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Lebanon, Italy, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Canada and Spain within 14 days prior to their arrival in the Philippines, are banned from entering the country until Jan. 15, 2021.

Filipino citizens, however, and foreign travelers who arrived in the Philippines before 1:00 a.m. of Dec. 31, 2020 are allowed entry but they have to undergo absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine, even if they can produce a negative of the virus result by RT PCR.

In the newest memorandum by the Executive Secretary, passengers and travelers, either Filipino citizens or foreigners merely transiting any of the countries covered by the earlier memorandum as long as they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry into the covered country by immigration authorities, are deemed safe and are not to be deemed as having come from the country.

For these people, they need not complete the 14-day facility-based quarantine, and can be allowed home quarantine upon testing negative for the virus via the RT PCR test at the point of entry.

However, transiting Filipino citizens, even if they left the airport or was cleared for entry by immigration officers into the country with a travel ban, can enter the Philippines, being citizens.

But, according to the said memorandum, these people are required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine even if they can produce a negative test result from an RT PCR assay. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

US TRAVEL BAN. Foreign travelers from the US or have been in the US in the last 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival in the Philippines are now banned entry into the country until Jan. 15, 2021, according to a memorandum approved by the President. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

AIRPORT CONTAINMENT. Passengers transiting in a country with a Philippine temporary travel ban are deemed safe as long as they stay in the aiport the whole time and do not go out, or they would be required to undergo absolute 14-day facility-based quarantine, according to the new memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated Dec. 31, 2020. (PIA Bohol)