QUEZON CITY, Jan. 6 (PIA) – In an online press briefing held Monday Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque, Jr announced that the United States of America is the latest to be included in the list of countries under the recent travel restrictions imposed by the government. This is due to the threat of the new COVID-19 virus strain which was first discovered in the United Kingdom.
The regulations for travel from the USA were made effective on January 3, 2021 and will last until the 15th of the same month.
Americans, as well as foreigners who visited the United States within 14 days before entering the Philippines will be prohibited from entering the country.
According to the Bureau of Immigration, this rule applies to all foreigners regardless of visa category, or whether they received any previous endorsement or exemption from the Department of Foreign Affairs or privileges under Republic Act 6768 (Balikbayan Law).
Earlier, travel restrictions were imposed on 20countries, which include the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lebanon, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Canada, Spain, as well as Hong Kong in China.
The current travel regulations for these countries will last until January 15, 2020 as well.
Roque clarified that Filipinos are exempted from the new rule. However, Filipino travelers from these countries are required to undergo a strictly facility-based quarantine once they enter the Philippines even though they receive a negative RT-PCR result.
He also added that foreigners traveling to the Philippines who have transited in any of the countries listed will be allowed to enter only if they remained in these countries' airports and were not cleared for entry by the countries' respective immigration authorities. These travelers will be allowed to undergo a home-based quarantine in the Philippines if they proved negative for an RT-PCR test.
Otherwise, transiting foreign passengers who left the airports or who were cleared for entry by these countries' immigration authorities will not be allowed to enter the Philippines.
Filipino nationals who left the airport or were cleared for entry by the layover country, will still be allowed to enter the Philippines, and will be required to undergo an absolute facility-based quarantine period even with a negative RT-PCR test result.(JKC/PIA-IDPD)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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