Palace takes back COVID-19 restrictions on travelers from US

After announcing that the Philippines has imposed restrictions on travelers from the US, presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Wednesday night deferred to the Department of Health which was still coordinating with the World Health Organization and US authorities as regards  the threat of a new COVID-19 variant.

Pending word on the threat of the UK variant from the US,  DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said the government was reiterating the mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers from the countries not covered by the travel restrictions.

Roque said he was adopting the DOH's statement on the matter of the new COVID-19 variant in the US and its impact on travel to the Philippines.

"The Department of Health is closely coordinating with the World Health Organization and the International Health Regulations (IHR) Focal Point in the USA on the reported SARS-CoV-2 variant," Vergeire said in a statement.

"While we await the confirmation, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has underscored that all inbound international travelers from countries not covered by the travel restrictions shall strictly finish the 14-day quarantine following the prescribed quarantine protocols which allow home quarantine after testing negative via RT-PCR at the point of entry," she added.

The first known US case of the variant was reportedly detected in Colorado on Tuesday, less than a day President Rodrigo Duterte imposed a ban on travelers coming from the United Kingdom (UK) and 19 other countries where the variant has been recorded.

Roque has said that Presdient Rodrigo  Duterte may impose restrictions on travelers coming from the US will be upon the joint recommendation of the Department of Health and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Apart from the UK, where the new coronavirus variant was first discovered, the following countries are covered by travel restrictions until 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

Filipinos coming from these places will be allowed to enter the Philippines but will be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period even if they test negative in an RT-PCR test. -NB, GMA News