High time to reassess entry of foreign tourists — Chan

CEBU, Philippines —  Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan has welcomed the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’s move to study the travel ban on inbound foreign tourists.

The mayor said it is high time for IATF-MEID to look into the possible entry of vaccinated foreign tourists to help revive the economy.

“That’s a very good development.”

“At least nadungog nila unya mabalik na ta sa ekonomiya, hilabi na sa industriya sa turismo. Lisod gyud kaayo ang atong siyudad, so mao na atong gisaligan ang atong mga turista,” the mayor said.

Last month, Chan appealed to IATF and the national government to ease restrictions on foreign tourists who have fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Chan made the comment after IATF-MEID created a small working group (SMG), headed by the Department of Tourism and the Department of Foreign Affairs, to examine how the green lane can be put in place.

Proposed by DOT, the setting up of a “green lane” would facilitate the entry of fully vaccinated foreign visitors to the country as part of the government efforts to reopen the economy.

IATF directed the SWG to assess how countries, mostly in Europe, opened up their borders to vaccinated tourists. It also tasked the group to implore measures that need to be applied for the green lane to achieve its objective of resuming international travels.

With the green lane, DOT said, immunized foreigners need not have to undergo the required quarantine.

The country is enforcing entry restrictions on people travelling from COVID-19 affected countries as it tries to prevent the further spread of the virus.

Also, the country is imposing the mandatory 14-day quarantine for all arriving passengers, whether or not they show symptoms of the disease. — KQD (FREEMAN)