Philippine government adds five more countries under temporary ban
MANILA – Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque said the Office of the President has approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IAFT-EID) to temporarily restrict the arrival of travelers from China, Pakistan, Jamaica, Luxemburg and Oman.
Speaking at the midday press briefing in Malacañang, Secretary Roque quoted Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea saying the prohibition of all foreigners from the five countries will take effect at 12:01 P.M. tomorrow until January 15,2021, subject to the recommendation of the IATF-EID.
The temporary ban on travelers was due to the new strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) the virus the causes coronavirus disease 2019, and said to be 70 percent more transmissible than the original COVID-19.
Much earlier, Secretary Roque disclosed the temporary ban on arrivals from the United Kingdom, Portugal, India, Finland, Norway, Jordan, Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, SAR, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lebanon, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Canada, Spain and Austria.
Filipinos will still be allowed to return home but will need to subject themselves to the national government’s strict quarantine measures.
They will be required to undergo an “absolute” facility-based 14-day quarantine, even if they obtain a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result. (Melo M. Acuña)
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. (Screen grab from Press Briefing January 12,2021/RTVM-PTV4-PCOO/Melo M. Acuna)