The Department of Transportation (DOTr), through the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), issued an advisory restricting the entry of travelers, except Filipino citizens, coming from 20 countries with reported cases of the new strains of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
CAB advised travelers on the additional measures to be observed to address the risks posed by the new COVID19 variant.
The Palace-approved additional measures include extending the temporary suspension of flights, and prohibiting the entry of all travelers coming from or transiting through the United Kingdom until 15 January 2021, except for Filipino citizens.
Furthermore, all foreign travelers coming from or transiting through the 19 other countries on the list within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines shall likewise be prohibited from entering the country effective 0001H of 30 December 2020, until 15 January 2020.
These 19 other countries on the list include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Also, effective immediately, passengers who are already in transit and arrive before 0001H of 30 December 2020 from these countries, including those who have been there within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, shall not be prohibited from entering the Philippines but shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, notwithstanding a negative RT- PCR test result.
Filipino citizens coming from these countries shall be allowed to enter the country but shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result.
In addition, upon the joint recommendation of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Office of the President may impose restrictions on travelers coming from other countries that report the presence of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Outbound travel to countries with reported new variants shall be subject to existing exit protocols of the Philippines, as well as entry protocols of the respective countries.
Laboratories at points of entry are directed to submit the specimens of travelers from countries with reported cases of the new variant to the Philippine Genome Center, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), and the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health for genome sequencing. The RITM is also directed to develop a Standard Operating Procedure/Response Protocol for reports of new variants and strains of SARS-CoV-2.
The Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration are directed to ensure strict adherence to quarantine and testing protocols for returning Filipinos and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and provide line list to Local Government Units (LGUs).
This should ensure completion and monitoring of the 14-day quarantine and DOH COVID-19 Surveillance and Quick Action Unit for case profile and trend analysis.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will ensure that all other inbound international travelers from countries not covered by the restriction strictly finish the 14-day quarantine, following the existing quarantine protocols of the national government.
This allows home quarantine after testing negative on RT-PCR at the point of entry.
The airlines are to inform the CAB of any action or modification made in its procedure in relation to the implementation of the directive.
In the Maritime Sector, foreign seafarers with travel history from the list of 20 countries in the last 14 days are temporarily prohibited from entering the Philippines from 0001H of 30 December 2020 to 15 January 2021.
Meanwhile, Filipino seafarers are allowed to disembark their ships but must be subjected to a mandatory facility-based quarantine for 14 days, notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result.
Filipino and foreign seafarers already in transit from the listed countries and all those who have been to the same within 14 days immediately preceding arrival to the Philippines, who arrive before 0001H of 30 December 2020, will be allowed entry but are required to undergo stricter quarantine and testing protocols.
Seafarers who fall under this classification are only allowed to disembark in the Port of Manila, and shall be transported by their shipping agents to the designated quarantine facility via Point-to-Point (P2P) under strict monitoring of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Filipino seafarers shall be quarantined in OWWA-assigned facilities and at Athlete’s Village in New Clark City with accommodation shouldered by the Philippine government. Meanwhile, foreign seafarers shall be quarantined in Department of Tourism (DOT)-assigned facilities for 14 days.