Despite the growing number of daily cases, the Philippines is set to lift the travel restrictions on travelers coming from 10 countries starting Monday, Sept. 6, 2021, Malacañang announced.
This, after the countries were placed for months on the travel ban list due to the threat posed by the dreaded Delta variant of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said that travelers from the following countries will finally be allowed to enter the Philippines starting Monday, Sept. 6:
- India
- Pakistan
- Bangladesh
- Sri Lanka
- Nepal
- United Arab Emirates
- Oman
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
The said countries were originally included in the travel ban due to the rising number of Delta cases.
Roque on Saturday, Sept. 4, said travelers from the said countries must comply with the appropriate entry, testing, and quarantine protocols, depending on the country’s approved "listing".
Meanwhile, Roque bared that the following countries, jurisdictions, or territories are now under the "Green List":
- American Samoa
- Anguilla
- Australia
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Cayman Islands
- Chad
- China
- Comoros
- Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
- Gabon
- Grenada
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Mali
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Montserrat
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Niger
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Palau
- Poland
- Saba
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Sierra Leone
- Sint Eustatius
- Slovakia
- Taiwan
New listings
Following the lifting of travel restrictions on the 10 countries, the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved the adoption of "Yellow" and "Red" classifications, in addition to the "Green List".
Roque said the new listings were based on the nations' respective incidence rates and case counts as the primary criteria, and testing data as secondary criteria. The incidence rate is the cumulative new cases over the past 28 days per 100,000 population while case counts are the cumulative new cases over the past 28 days.
Yellow List
The IATF classified "Yellow List" countries/jurisdictions/ territories as "Moderate Risk" based on the following metrics:
- For populations greater than 100,000, the incidence rate shall be 50 to 500
- For populations less than 100,000, the COVID-19 case counts shall be 50 to 500; and the testing rate of tests over the past 28 days per 100,000 population
Inbound international travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, coming from or with travel history within the last 14 days prior to their arrival in the Philippines from "Yellow List" places shall be governed by entry, testing, and quarantine protocols.
First, they shall undergo 14-day quarantine upon arrival. They have to complete the first 10 days in a quarantine facility while the remaining days will be under home quarantine in their respective local government units (LGUs) of destination.
Second, they shall undergo reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing on the seventh day, with their day of arrival serving as day one.
Third, the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) shall ensure strict symptom monitoring while in the facility quarantine for 10 days.
Passengers shall be subject to special protocols approved by the IATF or the Office of the President for certain classes of travelers or ports of origin.
Red List
On the other hand, the IATF classified "Red List" countries/jurisdictions/territories as "High Risk" based on the following metrics
- For populations greater than 100,000 the incidence rate shall be more than 500
- For populations less than 100,000, the COVID-19 case counts shall be more than 500, and the testing rate of tests over the past 28 days per 100,000 population
Inbound international travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, shall not be allowed to enter the Philippines. Only Filipinos returning to the country via government-initiated repatriation, non-government-initiated repatriation, and Bayanihan flights may be allowed entry, subject to entry, testing, and quarantine protocols.
Filipinos from Red-listed places shall undergo 14-day quarantine upon arrival, the first 10 in a quarantine facility while the remaining four days under home quarantine in their LGUs of destination.
They shall undergo RT-PCR testing on the seventh day, with their day of arrival serving as day one. The BOQ shall ensure strict symptom monitoring while in the facility quarantine for 10 days.
Passengers shall be subject to special protocols approved by the IATF or the Office of the President for certain classes of travelers or ports of origin.
All passengers merely transiting through a country, jurisdiction, or territory under the "Red List" shall not be deemed as having been there if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry by its immigration authorities.
They shall likewise be covered with existing testing and quarantine protocols.
Malacañang is yet to publish a list of countries, jurisdictions, or territories under the Yellow and Red lists.