The United States government has lowered its travel restriction to the Philippines to Level 3, a notch lower from Level 4, the highest of its four travel categories.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for the Philippines due to COVID-19, indicating a high level of COVID-19 in the country. There are restrictions in place affecting U.S. citizen entry into the Philippines,” said an advisory posted on the website of the US Embassy in Manila.
In April this year, the US government imposed a Level 4 travel health notice to the Philippines due to the exponential increase in COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna.
Aside from the high number of COVID-19 infections, the US government also advised its nationals traveling to the Philippines to “exercise increased caution due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping”.
The US-CDC, in its advisory, said that those who intend to go to the Philippines must ensure they completed their vaccine doses against the COVID-19, while individuals not yet vaccinated should avoid non-essential travel to the country.
“Because of the current situation in the Philippines, all travelers may be at risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 variants,” the CDC said.
It also advised American travelers to follow recommendations or requirements in the Philippines, including wearing a mask and staying 6 feet apart from others.