MANILA, Philippines — The government’s coronavirus task force revised its protocols for international passengers coming from “green” countries or territories deemed as low-risk.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases revised the rules for “green lanes” for fully vaccinated international passengers starting July 26, 12:01 a.m.
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“The IATF classified Green List countries/jurisdiction/territories as low-risk countries/jurisdictions/territories, upon the recommendation of the Department of Health,” Roque added.
'Green' List
In a statement, Roque said: “International arriving passengers to the Philippines, regardless of point of entry, need only to undergo a 7-day facility-based quarantine and RT-PCR testing on the 5th day, with the day of arrival of being the first day.”
But these passengers must have departed from a Green List country/jurisdiction/territory and they stayed in that area in the last 14 days before arrival in the country. They should also be fully vaccinated, whether in the Philippines or in abroad and their vaccination status can be confirmed by Philippine authorities.
Those qualified for the Green Lanes will be under strict monitoring of the Bureau of Quarantine. Even if the RT-PCR test yield a negative result, they must complete their seven-day quarantine. The BOQ will then issue a Quarantine Certificate, and the individual is then enjoined to do self-monitoring for the next seven days.
If the test yields positive result, isolation protocols must be followed.
International passengers from non-Green countries
International passengers shall not be qualified for the Green Lanes if the following conditions are present:
- Their point of origin is not a Green List/country/jurisdiction/territory
- They stayed outside Green List/country/jurisdiction/territory at any time in the last 14 days prior their arrival
- They have not been fully vaccinated
- If authorities cannot verify or confirm their fully vaccinated status
For these passengers, they shall undergo a ten-day facility-based quarantine and four-day quarantine. They will take an RT-PCR test on the seventh day.
Passengers transiting through a non-Green list country and only stayed at the airport during said period “shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to said country/jurisdiction/territory,” Roque added.
Confirming vaccination status
The IATF also identified the documents for verification or confirmation of vaccination status.
For overseas Filipino workers, their spouse, parent/s or children traveling with them, they must show their certification from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office from their point of origin.
Filipinos or foreigners who received doses in the Philippines must present either their local government unit hospital-issued vaccination card in original or hard copy form, or LGU-issued vaccine certificate.
Those who were vaccinated abroad must show vaccinated certificate issued by health authorities where they were vaccinated, “provided that such certificate can be independently verified/confirmed by Philippine authorities as valid or authentic.”
The IATF also on Friday expanded the travel ban to include travelers from Malaysia and Thailand due to the threat of the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus.
Local transmission of the variant was confirmed by the Department of Health on Thursday night. The addition of Malaysia and Thailand brings the total number of countries included in the Philippines' travel ban to 10. — Kristine Joy Patag