PH international travel protocols ‘aligned’ with CDC warning

MANILA. A woman wearing protective mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus walk past a mural showing frontliners in Manila, Philippines on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. (AP)
MANILA. A woman wearing protective mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus walk past a mural showing frontliners in Manila, Philippines on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. (AP)

DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said Wednesday, August 17, 2022, that the warning issued by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to travelers is “aligned” with the country’s border restrictions.

The CDC tagged the Philippines on Monday, August 15, as “high risk” for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) under the Level 3 category. It advised travelers to make sure that they have received the primary series of Covid-19 vaccines, as well as the booster doses.

“If you have a weakened immune system or are more likely to get very sick from Covid-19, even if you are up to date with your Covid-19 vaccines, talk with your clinician about your risk and consider delaying travel to this destination,” the CDC said.

Vergeire said as part of the country’s preventive measure against the spread of coronavirus, international travelers were required to show proof of their vaccination before heading to the Philippines.

She said the country recognized the importance of Covid-19 vaccination in preventing severe to critical infection brought about by the virus.

The Philippines has started accepting tourists since February 2022.

Under the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution 168, fully vaccinated foreign travelers are allowed to enter the country as long as their vaccination status is verified. They are no longer required to present a negative Covid-19 test result prior to arrival nor undergo isolation upon arrival.

The unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or those individuals whose vaccination could not be independently validated should present a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR result taken 48 hours prior to departure from the country of origin, or a laboratory-based rapid-antigen negative test taken within 24 hours.

They will also be required to undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR test taken on the fifth day after arrival. The travelers are then required to continue and complete their 14-day isolation at home or at the place of destination.

The CDC, aside from the Philippines, also placed Russia and Nepal under the Level 3 group. A total of 130 areas in the world have been in the same level.

Vergeire said Wednesday, August 17, that the metrics used by CDC in identifying the risk is different from what the Philippines is using.

She said the CDC is using the incidence rate and the number of tests, while the Philippines prioritizes the healthcare system capacity.

“Ngayon, mas binibigyang pansin natin at importansiya ang ating healthcare system capacity. Although our numbers are increasing, our healthcare system is manageable at this point,” said Vergeire.

Earlier, the DOH said the country remains at low risk for Covid-19 despite the increase in cases due to the low hospital occupancy.

But Vergeire warned against complacency, as the Covid-19 cases in the country are plateauing.

“Tingnan pa rin po natin in the coming days kung magtutuloy-tuloy ang pagbaba ng mga kaso natin,” she said.

The DOH logged a total of 2,633 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, August 16, bringing the total active cases to 36,190.

The country’s Covid-19 hospital occupancy was at 30.9 percent.

The number of fully vaccinated individuals in the country as of August 14 was at 72,107,090, while there were 17,015,413 people who received booster doses.

Meanwhile, Octa Research fellow Dr. Guido David said the Covid-19 daily positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) is trending downward since the first week of August.

He said the seven-day positivity rate in the NCR decreased to 16.1 percent on August 14 from 17.3 percent on August 7, while the one week growth rate of cases went down to -7 percent.

The reproduction number in the NCR decreased to 1.13 as of August 12, from 1.19 on August 5.

David said the NCR’s healthcare utilization was at 37 percent, while intensive care unit occupancy was at 32 percent as of August 14.

“While cases may have already peaked in the NCR, the trends will need to hold, as trends are still reversible. The risk level in the NCR remains moderate,” he said. (SunStar Philippines)

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