THE Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has allowed the entry of travelers from countries or jurisdictions under red list from January 16 to 31, 2022, acting presidential spokesperson Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Friday, January 14.
Nograles said among the countries or jurisdictions under red list are Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Canada, Curacao, French Guiana, Iceland, Malta, Mayotte, Mozambique, Puerto Rico (United States), Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain and US Virgin Islands.
He said fully vaccinated individuals traveling from these areas should present a negative RT-PCR result taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin, and will have to undergo a facility-based quarantine with another RT-PCR test taken on the seventh day, being the date of arrival as their first day.
If the travelers tested negative for coronavirus, they may be released and complete their quarantine at home up to the 14th day from the date of arrival.
Nograles said persons who were unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated must also observe the same policy, except that they may only be discharged upon the completion of a 10-day facility-based quarantine regardless of a negative RT-PCR result and the continuation of isolation at home until the 14th day from their arrival in the Philippines.
The IATF placed Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands, mainland China, Cote d’Iviore (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Hong Kong (Chinese special administrative region), India, Indonesia, Japan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Montserrat, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Saba, Saint Barthelemy, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Taiwan, Timor-Leste and Uganda under the green list for the same period.
Fully vaccinated individuals traveling from green list countries or jurisdictions should present a negative RT-PCR result taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin and will no longer have to undergo a facility-based quarantine.
They will instead be required to self-monitor for any signs or symptoms for seven days with their date of arrival being the first day.
Individuals from the green list who were unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated should present a negative RT-PCR result taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin and should undergo a facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR result taken on the fifth day upon arrival in the country.
Once released, they will have to self-monitor until the 14th day since their arrival.
Areas, countries or jurisdictions not mentioned were under the yellow list.
Fully vaccinated individuals traveling from the yellow list countries or jurisdiction should present a negative RT-PCR result taken within 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin and shall undergo a facility-based isolation with RT-PCR testing on the fifth day upon their arrival.
They may be sent home for the completion of quarantine up to the seventh day if they have a negative RT-PCR result.
Individuals from the yellow list who were unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated will be asked to present a negative RT-PCR result taken within 48 hours prior to departure from country of origin and shall undergo a facility-based quarantine with RT-PCR testing done on the seventh day with the day of their arrival as the first day.
Once with a negative result, travelers may be released for completion of home quarantine up to the 14th day.
Nograles said the IATF has also allowed the entry of fully vaccinated foreign essential travelers in the Philippines.
He stressed, though, that this does not include tourists.
Children aged below 18 years old, people medically unable to receive the vaccine as certified by a competent public health authority in the country or port of origin, and foreign diplomats and their qualified dependents/9E visa holders were exempted from this rule.
Nograles said the Department of Transportation, through the Civil Aeronautics Board, was instructed to mandate the airlines to require foreign nationals traveling to the Philippines to present proof of full vaccination prior to boarding flights to any points in the Philippines.
He said the IATF also recognized the national Covid-19 vaccination certificate of Colombia, Iraq, Monaco, Italy, Tunisia and Vietnam. (SunStar Philippines)