The government has further tightened the country's border restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus by adding two more countries to the travel ban list.
Travel restrictions will be imposed on all passengers coming from Oman and United Arab Emirates as a precaution against the coronavirus outbreak until the end of the month, according to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
The latest travel rules have been issued after the country recorded two cases of the coronavirus variant from India.
"All travelers coming from Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or those with travel history to these two countries within the last fourteen (14) days preceding arrival shall be prohibited from entering the Philippines beginning 0001H of May 15, 2021 until 2359H of May 31, 2021, upon the recommendation of the Department of Health and the Department of Foreign Affairs," Roque said in a statement late Thursday, May 13.
He said passengers in transit as well as those those who have been to these countries arriving before May 15 will not be subject to travel restrictions. These travelers, however must, undergo stricter quarantine and testing protocols upon arrival in the country. The health protocols include observation of a 14-day facility-based quarantine period upon arrival even if they get negative results from Reverse Transcription - Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test.
The government has also extended the travel restrictions on India and four nearby countries as a precaution against the coronavirus outbreak until the end of the month. The travel restrictions on these places are supposed to end on May 14 after a deadly coronavirus strain was first detected in India.
"All existing travel restrictions of passengers coming from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are extended until 2359H of May 31, 2021," Roque said.
Roque said the Department of Transportation must ensure that airlines are directed not to allow the boarding of passengers who are prohibited from entering the country based on the travel restrictions imposed by the Office of the President and IATF resolutions. An exception is given if passengers are part of the repatriation efforts of the national government.