Philippines places 6 countries under COVID-19 Red List

The Philippine government has placed Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and Spain under the Red List from January 1 to 15, 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Malacañang said Thursday.

This means that travelers from these places will not be allowed entry to the Philippines, except if they are on board Overseas Filipino Workers repatriation flights organized by the Philippine government and other private partners.

On the other hand, the countries under the Green List include:

• Bangladesh
• Benin
• Bhutan
• British Virgin Islands,
• China
• Cote d’ Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
• Djibouti
• Equatorial Guinea
• Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
• Fiji
• The Gambia
• Guinea
• Hong Kong
• Indonesia
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Liberia
• Montserrat
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Paraguay
• Rwanda
• Saba (Special Municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
• Saint Barthelemy
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Sint Eustatius
• Taiwan
• Timor-Leste (East Timor)
• Togo
• Uganda, and
• United Arab Emirates.

All other countries/territories /jurisdictions not mentioned above will be under the Yellow List.

In addition, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has approved the acceptance/recognition for purposes of arrival quarantine protocols as well as for interzonal/intrazonal movement the national COVID-19 vaccination certificate of Armenia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Kuwait, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United States of America and Oman. 

"This is in addition to such other countries/territories/ jurisdictions whose proofs of vaccination the IATF already approved for recognition in the Philippines, and without prejudice to such other proofs of vaccination approved by the IATF for all inbound travelers," acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said.

In this regard, the Bureau of Quarantine, the Department of Transportation – One Stop Shop and the Bureau of Immigration are directed to recognize only the proofs of vaccination thus approved by the IATF. —LBG, GMA News