TRAVEL ADVISORY: Philippines Travel Restrictions In More Than 30 Countries Extended Until January 31, 2021

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) approved the recommendation to extend until January 31, 2021 the entry travel restrictions and the rules applicable to all travelers coming from or transiting through the following countries/jurisdictions:

1. The United Kingdom

2. Denmark

3. Ireland 

4. Japan 

5. Australia 

6. Israel

7. The Netherlands

8. The People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

9. Switzerland

10. France

11. Germany

12. Iceland

13. Italy

14. Lebanon

15. Singapore

16. Sweden

17. South Korea

18. South Africa

19. Canada

20. Spain

21. United States of America

22. Portugal

23. India

24. Finland

25. Norway

26. Jordan

27.   Brazil

28. Austria

29.   Pakistan

30. Jamaica

31.   Luxembourg

32.  Oman

Also, the IATF directed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to strictly implement issuances against airlines that allow the boarding of passengers who are prohibited from entering the Philippines, pursuant to the travel restrictions imposed by the Office of the President and the IATF. The IATF, in coordination with other agencies, may issue implementing guidelines on the exemptions to these entry restrictions.

Contact tracing protocols, on the other hand, shall be strengthened by expanding to third-generation contacts for known new variant cases.  All identified close contacts are required to undergo a strict facility-based 14-day quarantine while remaining contacts from the flight manifest shall be advised of the appropriate quarantine protocols. In this connection, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is directed to issue advisories to local government units (LGUs) to prepare and strengthen the maintenance of their quarantine facilities.

The DILG is also directed to ensure the proper enforcement of the StaySafe.ph system use by LGUs for ease of contact tracing. 

Those who are found to be positive, apart from the prescribed testing and quarantine protocols, shall undergo whole genome sequencing to be conducted by the Department of Health (DOH), University of the Philippines Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), and the UP National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH).  Related to this, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the DOTr One-Stop Shop shall ensure that appropriate protocols are implemented for all those found to be positive of the new COVID-19 variants.

In addition, the IATF approved the continuation of weekly genomic biosurveillance activities of the DOH, UP-PGC, UP-NIH among incoming passengers and local cases, prioritizing hospitalized patients, re-infected patients, and those in clusters.

The IATF further directed the convening of a small working group as soon as possible to resolve issues on funding, availability and use of quarantine facilities, and eventual handling over LGUs of arriving overseas Filipinos. The DOH shall be the lead in this working group.  

On another matter, the IATF approved the updated criteria for selecting priority areas for COVID-19 vaccines deployment of the Department of Health, in consultation with the interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) for COVID-19 Vaccines.

Lastly, the IATF revised the operational capacity of the road, rail, maritime and aviation sectors of public transportation for areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).

Source: 

Immigration Helpline PH

Office of the Presidential Spokesperson