Cebu airport readies quarantine areas

The Mactan Cebu International Airport.
File

CEBU, Philippines — The Mactan Cebu International Airport in Cebu has readied at least 140 rooms at hotels at undisclosed locations where Filipinos who will enter the country via Lapu-Lapu City will be quarantined for 14 days.

The quarantine requirement was decided with finality yesterday as the national government banned travelers – except for returning Filipinos – from areas that recorded cases of the new strain of the coronavirus disease, which was detected first in the United Kingdom.

"Also, effective immediately, Filipino citizens coming from countries / areas in Paragraphs A and B, or who have been to the same countries / areas within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, shall be allowed to enter the Philippines. However, they shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR test result," said Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.  

In Cebu, MCIAA General Manager Steve Dicdican said those who will be arriving in Cebu will stay at the 140 rooms for quarantine.

“I’m already anticipating that our ability to quarantine arriving passengers will soon get overwhelmed,” Dicdican said yesterday.

The government will pay for the quarantine, he said.

He clarified that the quarantine facilities of local government units are intended for those who will test positive for the virus.

“But if we have no more rooms, we might have to open them up for purposes of quarantining,” Dicdican added.

Aside from the quarantine requirement, Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte had approved "the extension of the temporary suspension of flights from, and the prohibition of entry on all travelers coming from or transiting through, the United Kingdom until January 15, 2021."

Also approved, he said, was "the prohibition from entering the Philippines effective December 30, 2020, 12:01 AM until January 15, 2021, of all foreign travelers coming from, or transiting through, the following countries/areas listed below or who have been to the same places mentioned below within 14 days preceding arrival in the Philippines."

Areas listed in the statement include Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, The Netherlands, Hong Kong SAR, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lebanon, Singapore, Sweden, South-Korea, South-Africa, Canada, and Spain.

"Effective immediately, passengers who are already in transit and arrive before December 30, 2020, 12:01AM, from the 19 countries / areas listed above, including those who have been to the same places mentioned in Paragraph B within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, shall not be prohibited from entering the country.  However, they shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR test result," Roque said. — JMO (FREEMAN)

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