BI: Filipinos from UK can enter Philippines after Dec. 24, to undergo quarantine, testing

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday said Filipinos from the United Kingdom will be allowed to enter the Philippines after December 24 but will be subject to COVID-19 testing and quarantine.

The government has ordered a suspension of all flights from the UK to the Philippines from December 24 to 31, 2020 amid concerns about a new SARS-CoV-2 variant spreading in Britain.

“Filipinos will be allowed to enter the country even after December 24, but will also be referred to the BOQ (Bureau of Quarantine) and the One Stop Shop,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement.

All other passengers who have been to the UK in the last 14 days, even transiting travelers, cannot enter the Philippines for the next week starting December 24, he said.

Travelers from the UK who come in before the start of the restriction will be allowed to enter but will have to undergo testing and quarantine.

Morente said he has ordered immigration officers to strictly inspect passports to be able to detect those covered by the temporary ban.

He explained that travel to the UK is still allowed provided that passengers have a round trip ticket for short-term or tourist visa holders, travel and health insurance, and a signed declaration acknowledging the risks of travel during the pandemic.

Over 40 countries have suspended flights from Britain in attempts to contain the new strain of the coronavirus.

The Department of Health said it has not yet monitored the new strain in the Philippines.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has advised Filipinos in the UK to postpone their travel plans. —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/KBK, GMA News