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Presidential Speaker Harry Roque. File photo of the INQUIRER / DEXTER CABALZA
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has included China, Pakistan, Jamaica, Luxembourg and Oman in the coverage of the temporary travel ban on foreign travelers due to the new COVID-19 variant, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Foreign passengers arriving directly from those countries, as well as those who have been there within the 14 days immediately prior to their arrival in the Philippines, will be restricted from entering the country as of 12 noon on January 13, said the presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
Filipinos from these countries will be allowed into the country, but must undergo a 14-day absolute quarantine, even if they get a negative RT-PCR test result.
The travel ban will last until January 15.
Previously, the Philippines imposed a travel ban in several countries where the new variant of COVID-19 was registered, first registered in the UK and believed to be more infectious. These countries are:
- UK
- U.S
- Denmark
- Ireland
- Japan
- Australia’
- Israel
- The Netherlands
- Hong Kong SAR
- Switzerland
- France
- Germany
- Iceland
- Italy
- Lebanon
- Singapore
- Sweden
- South Korea
- South Africa
- Canada
- Spain
- Portugal
- Finland
- Norway
- Jordan
- Brazil
The government also imposed a travel ban on Austria due to the threat of another variant of COVID-19 that was first reported in South Africa.
The travel ban to these countries may be extended or lifted based on the recommendation of the Interagency Working Group on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Roque said.
Experts said that both the South African and British variants are associated with a higher viral load, which means a higher concentration of virus particles in the body of patients, possibly contributing to greater transmission.
The two new variants have yet to be detected in the Philippines. However, Hong Kong recently announced that a passenger from Manila tested positive for the UK variant.
READ: PH Expands Travel Restriction to US Amid Threat of New COVID-19 Variant
JPV
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