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The Philippines will implement a travel ban covering 20 countries from 1 a.m. of December 30, 2020 to January 15, 2021
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The measure prevents entry of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 recently detected in several countries
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Passengers in transit or who had been in any of the flagged countries within 14 days from entry into the Philippines and who arrive before Dec 30, 2020, will be allowed entry but subject to mandatory 14-day quarantine
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Outbound travel to countries with reported new variants of COVID-19 subject to exit protocols of the Philippines and entry protocols of the respective countries
The Philippines will implement a travel ban covering 20 countries from 1 a.m. of December 30, 2020 to January 15, 2021 to prevent entry of a new variant of COVID-19 recently detected in several countries.
A memo from Executive secretary Salvador Medialdea dated December 29 extended the temporary suspension of flights from or transiting through the United Kingdom until January 15, 2021. A temporary suspension of flights to the European country was imposed from December 24 until December 31, 2020.
READ: All flights from UK suspended over fears of COVID-19 mutation
The memo prohibits entry of all foreign travelers coming from or transiting through, or have been in the following countries within 14 days preceding arrival in the Philippines, from 1 a.m. of December 30 to January 15:
- Denmark
- Ireland
- Japan
- Australia
- Israel
- The Netherlands
- Hong Kong
- Switzerland
- France
- Germany
- Iceland
- Italy
- Lebanon
- Singapore
- Sweden
- South Korea
- South Africa
- Canada
- Spain
All passengers, both foreign and Filipino citizens, who are already in transit or who had been in any of the flagged countries within 14 days from entry into the Philippines and who arrive before December 30, 2020, will be allowed entry but they will be subjected to mandatory facility-based 14-day quarantine despite getting a negative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test result.
Restrictions on travelers coming from other countries that will report presence of a new COVID-19 variant may be imposed by the Office of the President upon joint recommendation of the Department of Health and Department of Foreign Affairs.
Outbound travel to countries with reported new variants of COVID-19 will be subject to existing exit protocols of the Philippines as well as entry protocols of the respective countries.
READ: Crew change activities halted from Dec 30 to Jan 15
Aside from flights suspensions, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and Cebu Port Authority (CPA) will also temporarily prohibit vessels coming from the 20 countries to change their crews in PPA and CPA designated crew change hubs from December 30 to January 15, 2021.
