The government has pushed back to next week the implementation of the seven-day quarantine for returning travelers vaccinated in the country.
The shorter quarantine period for incoming vaccinated travelers has been moved to June 22, 2021 based on a latest decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) amid preparations for the rollout of the vaccine certificates, a documentary requirement to show proof of vaccine status.
The health and safety protocols for vaccinated passengers arriving from abroad were supposed to begin last June 16, 2021.
"With due consideration to the full roll-out of the process of validation of vaccination certificates, the effectivity date for the implementation of the testing and shortened quarantine protocols for the inbound travel of individuals who were fully vaccinated individuals in the Philippines shall be moved to 22 June 2021," the IATF Resolution No. 122 read.
In Resolution No. 119 issued last June 3, the IATF has required returning travelers who completed vaccination in the Philippines to stay in quarantine for seven days at a facility, instead of the 10-day facility-based quarantine and four days in their place of destination. The passengers will have to take a swab only if they show coronavirus symptoms during their quarantine.
The task force also recently revised its travel guidelines for these vaccinated passengers, particularly tightening the process to verify their vaccination status.
Under the IATF resolution released last week, these passengers must present documents, specifically a vaccine card and a certification to show proof of complete vaccination, to airport authorities.The certification must be issued prior to departure by the Department of Information and Communications Technology or the city health officer of the local government unit which administered the last dose necessary for full vaccination.
READ: Int'l travelers fully vaccinated in PH required to show vaccine card, certificate
Under the previous guideline, these returning passengers were required to carry only a vaccination card that must be verified prior to departure.
Upon arrival in the country, such certification must be presented to the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) representative for re-verification at the Department of Transportation One-Stop-Shop (OSS).
Meantime, the IATF has directed authorities to implement the health and safety guidelines for all incoming international passengers in all ports of the country.
READ: IATF orders strict enforcement of health protocols for inbound int’l travelers