Foreign dignitaries exempted from travel ban over new COVID-19 variant — IATF
MANILA, Philippines — Foreign diplomats and officials from international organizations will not be included in the travel ban recently hoisted by the Philippines over 21 countries that have detected a new and more contagious variant of coronavirus, the COVID-19 task force decided.
"Local/accredited foreign diplomats and international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations shall be exempted from quarantine protocols provided they will undergo RT-PCR test upon arrival at the airport, execute an undertaking, and observe strict 14-day quarantine," the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases said in its 92nd resolution released Wednesday.
It added that "[f]oreign dignitaries who shall observe existing testing and quarantine protocols upon arrival" and those with "medical and emergency cases, including their medical escorts," will be exempted from the travel ban as well.
All other foreign travelers "coming from, or with travel history within the last 14 days before arrival in the Philippines in countries/jurisdictions covered by travel restrictions for the COVID-19 variant shall not be permitted entry into the Philippines until January 15, 2021," the IATF said.
The government initially enforced a travel ban on individuals coming from the United Kingdom after a new and more contagious varant of the coronavirus was first detected there. After hours of miscommunication last December 19, the list was eventually expanded to include 19 other countries:
- Denmark
- Ireland
- Japan
- Australia
- Israel
- The Netherlands
- Hong Kong, China
- Switzerland
- France
- Germany
- Iceland
- Italy
- Lebanon
- Singapore
- Sweden
- South Korea
- South Africa
- Canada
- Spain
On January 1, restrictions were also placed on travelers from the United States after the superpower recorded its first case of the variant.
Despite the public communication breakdown of government agencies, presidential spokesman Harry Roque's initial announcement of the travel ban on America was made on December 30 but was retracted after it disputed by the health department. It took the government two days to announce the travel ban on the US again.
Filipinos, vaccinated travelers must strictly adhere to protocols
Meanwhile, Filipinos traveling from the same countries, or were in the same countries with the last two-week period, "shall undergo strict observation of absolute fourteen (14) day facility-based quarantine period save for highly exceptional and/or medical reasons upon the determination of the Department of Health," the COVID-19 task force said.
It added that even travelers who have received coronavirus vaccines in other countries must adhere to quarantine and testing protocols due to "the current limited knowledge as to the effect of available vaccines on the transmissibility of COVID-19."
— Bella Perez-Rubio
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