The current border control protocols in the country are still "sufficient" amid the spike in Covid-19 cases in China, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
The DOH said it is not yet needed to change the Philippines' border control measures.
"We are currently implementing heightened surveillance and monitoring. Existing protocols are still sufficient," the DOH said in a statement on Sunday, Jan. 8.
"There is not yet a need to implement stricter border controls for in-bound international travelers," it added.
"The DOH reiterates the need to look at the situation as a whole, and decisions should be based on science and evidence," it furthered.
The Health department made the statement after some European nations require travelers from China to present a negative Covid-19 test upon entry in their respective countries.
Among the said countries include Sweden, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, France, and Italy.
On Jan. 4, the DOH reported that eight Filipinos who arrived in the country from China tested positive for Covid-19.
Their swab samples were already sent to the Philippine Genome Center for genome sequencing to check what variant of Covid-19 virus infected them.
The DOH said that 89 close contacts were already identified and they are currently being monitored.