Quarantine period shortened for inbound travelers who got fully vaccinated vs. COVID-19 in the Philippines

Quarantine period for inbound travelers to the Philippines who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has been shortened to seven days from 14 but only if they got vaccinated in the country.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday said an individual is considered fully vaccinated if he or she will come to the Philippines two or more weeks after receiving the second dose in a two-dose series, or two or more weeks after receiving a single-dose vaccine.

Roque is also the spokesperson for the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, or IATF, the government's policy-making body in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also said a fully vaccinated individual must carry his or her vaccination card verified prior to departure. This must then be presented to a Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) representative for re-verification at the Department of Transportation (DOTr) One-Stop Shop upon arrival in the Philippines.

"All inbound fully vaccinated individuals shall be required to undergo a seven-day facility-based quarantine upon arrival. The BOQ shall ensure strict symptom monitoring while in the quarantine facility for 7 days," Roque said.

After completing the seven-day facility-based quarantine, the BOQ will issue a Quarantine Certificate indicating the individual’s vaccination status.

An RT-PCR test on an inbound traveler to the Philippines who is fully vaccinated, Roque said, will only be done when the individual manifests COVID-19 symptoms within the seven-day quarantine.

In addition, the IATF directed the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Finance, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Economic and Development Authority to provide recommendations to further relax testing and quarantine protocols for certain travelers.

Prior this revised protocol, all inbound travelers to the Philippines, fully vaccinated or not, are required to go under quarantine for 14 days, with the RT-PCR test for COVID-19 being done on the seventh day.

RT-PCR results are usually issued after one to two days after the test was done. If the individual tests negative after undergoing quarantine in a government facility, he or she will finish the rest of the 14-day quarantine at home.

In addition, the IATF exempted non-Philippine government repatriation efforts to the entry restrictions imposed on travelers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

This is on top of the exemption on repatriation programs of the Philippine government for Filipinos coming from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. 

For Philippine government-organized repatriation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration are required to coordinate with DOH-Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), Department of Transportation and its One-Stop Shop and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, as well as the National Task Force Against COVID-19 Task Group, for the management of returning Overseas Filipinos, at least 48 hours prior to the departure from the country of origin.

In the case of non-Philippine government repatriation, all Filipino repatriates from the countries with travel restrictions must present a negative RT-PCR test result taken within 48 hours prior to boarding the aircraft or vessel. 

The airline or the shipping line is responsible to check on this requirement. 

A copy of the negative RT-PCR test result of the repatriate will then be submitted to the BOQ upon arrival in the port of entry in the Philippines. Prior approval from the BOQ is needed for the entry of flight or vessel carrying Filipino repatriates prior to its movement from point of origin.

The concerned local manning agency (for seafarers), the Philippine recruitment agency (for land-based workers), or the sponsoring Philippine government agency will then submit an exemption request to the DOH-BOQ, the approval of which is tantamount to IATF’s approval on the repatriation effort.

The IATF likewise required all repatriates from countries with travel restrictions in effect to be placed on a strict 14-day facility-based quarantine from the date of arrival in the Philippines, with the date of arrival being the first day.

The IATF, meanwhile, allowed foreign nationals holding Special Resident Retiree’s Visa to enter the Philippines without the need of an entry exemption document. —KBK, GMA News