BI spox: 3 passengers with travel history to countries covered by travel ban intercepted

Immigration officers were able to bar the entry of at least three passengers with travel history to some countries included in the travel ban that was imposed to prevent the spread of the UK coronavirus variant in the Philippines, Bureau of Immigration (BI) spokesperson Dana Sandoval said Thursday.

"Yesterday may na-intercept po tayo. Kung 'di ako nagkakamali, nasa tatlo po 'yung na-intercept natin that came from these countries," Sandoval said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

"They were turned back po, hindi po sila pinayagang pumasok ng Pilipinas. Excluded po natin sila," she added.

The Philippine government has imposed a travel ban for passengers coming from 20 countries where a new variant of the COVID-19 virus was detected. The ban, effective from December 30, 2020 to January 15, 2021 covers the following:

• UK
• Denmark
• Ireland
• Japan
• Australia
• Israel
• The Netherlands
• Hong Kong
• Switzerland
• France
• Germany

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• Iceland
• Italy
• Lebanon
• Singapore
• Sweden
• South Korea
• South Africa
• Canada and
• Spain

"Kung mayroon po silang travel history within the last 14 days dito po sa countries na ito. Kahit hindi po sila doon directly nanggaling, hindi pa rin po natin papapasukin," Sandoval said.

The BI officers in the airports were instructed to do a 100% passport inspection to make sure that the travel histories of arriving passengers are cleared, she added.

Meanwhile, Filipino nationals who will be arriving from the 20 countries covered by the travel ban would not be turned away.

"Kahit galing po sila doon sa 20 countries papayagan naman pong pumasok but they would be referred to the one-stop shop para strictly ma-implement 'yung 14-day quarantine," Sandoval said.

The BI is still awaiting official order from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases for the inclusion of the US in the travel ban.

"We are on standby kung sakali po na makita ng IATF na kailangan pong i-expand itong travel restrictions po natin but we're ready to implement kung sakali pong makita nila na kailangan na po talagang i-expand ito,"she said.

Non-essential departures from the Philippines are still allowed, subject to the submission of additional documentary requirements, she added. — RSJ, GMA News