The government extended until the end of the month the travel restriction for inbound travelers in 10 Asian countries with confirmed cases of the Delta variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
In a statement on Friday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced the extension it was contained in the new Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) resolution, which was approved by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last Thursday.
The travel restriction, which will last from Aug. 16 to 31, 2021, will cover India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The said travel restriction was initially scheduled to end on Aug. 15, 2021.
The government imposed the said restriction to prevent the entry of new SARS-CoV-2 variants in the country.
Health officials attributed the local community transmission of the Delta variant to the recent spike in novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) nationwide.
Transit hub
Roque said the IATF also approved the request of airlines to resume international transit hub operations.
“These international transit hub operations shall be limited to airside transfers between Terminals 1 and 2, and within Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and further limited for countries/jurisdictions/territories in the Green List.
The updated “Green list” includes the following countries: Albania, American Samoa, Anguilla, Australia, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Chad, China, Comoros, Cote d’ Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands, Gabon, Grenada, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), Hungary, Mali, Federated States of Micronesia, Montserrat (British Overseas Territory), New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Poland, Romania, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Slovakia, Sudan, and Taiwan
Roque said protocols for the controlled movement of passengers and health and safety protocols within the terminals shall be strictly observed.
“Any traveler who may exhibit symptoms shall comply with isolation and quarantine protocols which shall be for the account of the sponsoring airlines,” Roque explained.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, the Bureau of Quarantine, and the Bureau of Immigration will issue the necessary protocols on the said matter.
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