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FOREIGN travelers arriving from or in transit through 19 countries, in addition to the United Kingdom (United Kingdom), will not be able to enter the Philippines starting at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, December 30, 2020.
Filipino citizens with a history of travel in the UK or any of the 19 countries within 14 days prior to arrival in the Philippines will be allowed to enter the country, but will be required to undergo a 14-day outright quarantine at the facility regardless RT-PCR. Test results.
The ban, which aims to block the most contagious British variant of Sars-CoV-2, will last until January 15, 2021. Sars-CoV-2 causes the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Malacañang said the ban covers the UK and the following countries:
1. Denmark
2. Ireland
3. Japan
4. Australia
5. Israel
6. Holland
7. Hong Kong, SAR
8. Switzerland
9. France
10. Germany
11. Iceland
12. Italy
13. Lebanon
14. Singapore
15. Sweden
16. South Korea
17. South Africa
18. Canada
19. Spain
Passengers with a travel history in the UK and any of the 19 countries will also not be allowed to enter.
Passengers already in transit and arriving before 12:01 a.m. on December 30 from all 19 countries will be allowed to enter the country, but will need to undergo a 14-day quarantine at the facility, regardless of the results of the RT test. -PCR. .
RT-PCR refers to the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test, which detects Sars-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal specimens.
All other incoming international travelers will be required to complete a 14-day quarantine period. Those with negative RT-PCR test results at the point of entry may undergo home quarantine.
All travelers arriving from or transiting the UK have been unable to enter the country since 12:01 am on December 24.
The ban was originally scheduled to last until the end of the year, but Duterte approved its extension until January 15, 2021.
The list of countries covered by the ban could still grow as the Office of the President (OP) may impose restrictions on travelers from other countries who report the presence of the new Sars-CoV-2 variant.
This will be done on the joint recommendation of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Foreign Relations (DFA).
Outbound travel to the UK and all 19 countries is still allowed, subject to existing exit protocols and the entry protocols of the passenger’s destination.
Duterte also approved the recommendation to require diagnostic laboratories at points of entry to submit samples positive for Sars-CoV-2 to the Philippine Genome Center, the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the National Institutes of Health. from the University of the Philippines for the genome. sequencing.
In the meantime, the RITM aimed to develop a standard operating procedure / response protocol for reports on new Sars-CoV-2 variants and strains.
The Office of Quarantine and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration were also instructed to ensure strict adherence to quarantine and testing protocols between returning Filipinos and Filipino workers abroad.
These two agencies must also provide a list of lines to local government units to ensure the 14-day quarantine is completed and monitored.
A copy will also be sent to DOH’s Covid-19 Rapid Action and Surveillance Team for profiling and trend analysis. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines)
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