US Embassy in Manila reschedules passport appointments due to COVID-19 cases surge

The US Embassy in Manila has canceled the non-emergency appointments for passports and consular reports of birth abroad starting January 11 due to the current surge of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines.

In a health alert issued on Monday, the embassy said such appointments scheduled from January 11 to 14 will be rescheduled.

The appointments were canceled "to ensure the health and safety of our clients and our staff," the embassy said.

"The current surge in COVID cases has impacted our operations, and as a result we are working with significantly reduced staffing levels and can only accommodate applicants with urgent travel needs in the next two weeks," it added.

The embassy said those who are traveling within the next two weeks can send them an email at ACSInfoManila@state.gov to schedule an appointment, and should include a copy of the itinerary.

Those who are unable to attend appointments due to restrictions imposed by their local government unit need to cancel their appointments or request for a reschedule by emailing ACSInfoManila@state.gov, it added.

The embassy also reminded visitors not to go to the embassy or consular agency in Cebu if they are sick or have COVID-19 symptoms. Instead, they should cancel their appointments and reschedule them, it added. 

Last week, the US Embassy canceled interview appointments this January for non-immigrant visa applicants amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country. —KG, GMA News