The Philippines has extended until January 31, 2021, the travel restrictions on foreign travelers from over 30 countries to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus variant.
In a statement Friday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the extension was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
Covered by the travel restriction are travelers from the following countries:
- United Kingdom
- Denmark
- Ireland
- Japan
- Australia
- Israel
- The Netherlands
- China (including Hong Kong)
- Switzerland
- France
- Germany
- Iceland
- Italy
- Lebanon
- Singapore
- Sweden
- South Korea
- South Africa
- Canada
- Spain
- United States
- Portugal
- India
- Finland
- Norway
- Jordan
- Brazil
- Austria
- Pakistan
- Jamaica
- Luxembourg
- Oman
The entry ban was supposed to expire on Friday.
The government first imposed the travel restrictions last December 24 covering only the UK, where the more transmissible variant was initially detected. It was then expanded to other countries.
Filipino citizens will be allowed to enter the Philippines as long as they undergo screening for COVID-19 and facility-based quarantine for 14 days.
The UK variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 was recently detected on a Filipino who traveled to the United Arab Emirates last month and returned to the country on January 7.
Given this development, Malacañang on Thursday urged the public to continue observing the minimum health standards such as wearing face masks and physical distancing.
Malacañang releases IATF Resolution No. 94 containing guidelines on the implementation of community quarantine in the Philippines with amendments as of January 14, 2021.
