BI to continue implementing ban on travelers from India, 6 other countries

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Wednesday it would comply with the COVID-19 task force’s directive to ban the entry of travelers from seven countries until July 15.

The seven countries covered by the travel restrictions are India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

The ban was supposed to expire on Tuesday, but the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) decided to have a two-week extension in light of the prevalence of the COVID-19 Delta variant and the need for the continued implementation of strict border controls.

Current restrictions allow the entry of Filipinos, balikbayans, and those with valid and existing visas from countries not part of the travel restrictions.

“Foreigners arriving the said countries will be denied entry and immediately sent back to their port of origin. On the other hand, Filipinos arriving from these countries as part of repatriation efforts by the government and non-government sectors will be allowed entry,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said.

He reminded the airlines not to board passengers coming from those countries to avoid possible sanctions by the aviation authorities.

The IATF has also allowed passengers who have been fully vaccinated to undergo a seven-day facility-based quarantine.

“Hence they would need to present their seven-day booking, as well as proof of vaccination to the BI before clearance,” BI port operations division chief Carlos Capulong said. 

“They must likewise have come from countries tagged as green (or low risk) by the Department of Health,” he added.

Capulong said those who have not been vaccinated will still undergo a 10-day facility-based quarantine. — RSJ, GMA News