The government's pandemic task force has come up with new quarantine and testing protocols for Filipino and foreign travelers coming from green, yellow, and red list territories that will take effect on November 22, 2021.
In his press briefing on Friday, November 19, acting presidential spokesman and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, however, said the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is yet to decide whether to finally open the country to tourists.
Green list protocols
Fully vaccinated Filipinos from green list countries may opt to have a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) taken within 72 hours prior to their departure from their country of origin.
Having a negative pre-departure coronavirus (COVID-19) test would allow these passengers to skip facility-based quarantine and an on-arrival RT-PCR test.
Fully vaccinated Filipinos with no negative pre-departure COVID-19 test will have to be tested upon their arrival and undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of negative results. They will also be encouraged to self-monitor until the 14th day starting from the date of arrival.
Meanwhile, fully vaccinated foreign travelers are required to follow the test-before-travel requirement. They will not be required to undergo facility quarantine or testing upon their arrival but are enjoined to self-monitor for symptoms until the 14th day.
On the other hand, unvaccinated, partially vaccinated individuals whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated, and those vaccinated but failed to comply with the test-before-travel requirements must undergo facility quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR test that will be taken on the fifth day. They are also required to self-monitor for symptoms until the 14th day.
Yellow list protocols
Fully vaccinated travelers from yellow list territories will have to present a negative pre-departure test taken within 72 hours prior to their departure from their country of origin. Upon arrival, they shall undergo facility-based quarantine with a third-day RT-PCR test.
They may be discharged upon the release of a negative RT-PCR test and will be enjoined to self-monitor up to the 14th day from the date of arrival.
If without a negative pre-departure test, they shall undergo facility-based quarantine with a fifth-day RT-PCR test and will be discharged upon the release of a negative test. They shall be required to undergo home quarantine until the 10th day from the date of arrival.
Those who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and individuals whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated will have to undergo facility-based quarantine with an RT-PCR test done on the seventh day.
Upon the release of a negative RT-PCR test, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine until the 14th day from the date of arrival.
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
Red list protocols
No passenger from red list territories shall be allowed to enter the country unless they are Filipinos who will be returning via any of the following channels:
- Government-initiated repatriation
- Non-government-initiated repatriation
- Bayanihan Flights
Passengers who will be allowed to return will have to undergo a 10-day facility-based quarantine.
However, passengers merely transiting through Red List territories shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to the said territories if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry. They will still also have to comply with existing testing and quarantine protocols.
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
Minors
Meanwhile, traveling minors will have to follow the same testing and quarantine protocols as their parents or guardians who are traveling with them. This is regardless of the minor's vaccination status and country of origin.