THE ban on inbound passengers from India and four neighboring countries has been extended until May 31, 2021 and expanded to include those coming from Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said all travelers from Oman and UAE as well as those with travel history to these two countries within the last 14 days preceding arrival will not be allowed to enter the Philippines beginning 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 15, 2021 until 11:59 p.m.of May 31, 2021.
Passengers who arrive before the ban’s effectivity will be required to quarantine for 14 days in a facility even with a negative reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result.
The expansion of the ban to Oman and UAE was decided after the Department of Health (DOH) announced that two passengers tested positive for the B.1.617.2 variant of Sars-CoV-2.
The B.1.617 variant, which was recently declared by the World Health Organization as a variant of concern, has been reported to be more transmissible. It has three sub-lineages, namely, B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3.
Both passengers, who are returning overseas Filipino workers, have completed the mandatory quarantine and have been allowed to go home. One went home to Soccsksargen while the other went home to Bicol.
After initially declaring that the two patients have had no close contact, DOH officials said they were still tracing the fellow passengers who arrived with the two men on April 10 and April 19, 2021.
Roque also said all existing travel restrictions for coming from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are extended until 11:59 p.m. of May 31, 2021.
Only travelers who are part of the repatriation efforts of the national government are exempted, he added. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines)