DOH: No reason for additional restrictions on travelers from China

Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire on Friday said there is no need yet to impose more restrictions on travelers coming from China.

“Kailangan nating tignan ang kabuuan ng sitwasyon at hindi lang natin i-focus ang ating pag-iisip at saka pagdedesisyon sa China dahil alam naman natin na ‘yong interaction between and among the different populations across the globe has happened already,” Vergeire said.

“Hindi po nakikita ng DOH at naikonsulta din natin ito sa ating mga eksperto yung pangangailangan na dagdagan ng restrictions specifically just for China, we just go through our protocols currently at sa tingin natin, ito naman ay epektibo hanggang sa ngayon,” she added.

The DOH earlier directed its units to maintain “heightened surveillance,” particularly on travelers arriving from China amid the spike in COVID-19 cases in the East Asian country.

China is experiencing a spike in infections after years of harsh zero-COVID restrictions were loosened in December.

Mild symptoms

Vergeire, meanwhile, said the eight unvaccinated Filipinos, who came from China and tested positive for COVID-19, were exhibiting mild symptoms.

“Most of them exhibited mild symptoms. Merong iba nangangati lang ang lalamunan yung iba may sipon, yung iba nilalagnat pero lahat ay mild they are still in isolation being taken care of by our BOQ (Bureau of Quarantine) medical officials,” she said.

“Ito pong mga kababayan natin na nagpositibo they will be released from quarantine depending on the date they started isolation and ang ating protocols seven days, after seven days walang sintomas they can be discharged and just be monitored,” she added.

Citing reports from the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), the DOH said the travelers arrived in the Philippines from December 27, 2022, to January 2, 2023.

Contact tracing efforts

Vergeire said at least 19 close contacts -- 18 foreign nationals and one Filipino-- were being monitored in the first flight. Of the said close contacts, 17 are fully vaccinated, one is partially vaccinated, and one unvaccinated.

“Dito sa specific flight na ito lahat ay walang sintomas at sila ay undergoing by their respective local government. It is not DOH doing contact tracing, pagkatapos namin matrace yung contact local government play their part by monitoring them,” she said.

On the second flight, Vergeire said at least 23 close contacts were being monitored in which 16 of them are foreign nationals and seven are Filipinos. She said all of them were fully vaccinated and did not exhibit symptoms.

She said at least 27 close contacts, who are all Filipinos, were being monitored on the third flight.

“Mayroon isang nakitang may sintomas at ito ay sinubject sa testing, 26 are asymptomatic [One exhibited symptoms and was tested while 26 were asymptomatic],” she said.

Vergeire said at least 20 close contacts were being monitored in the last flight, who are 12 foreign nationals and eight Filipinos.

Nineteen of them are fully vaccinated and one is unvaccinated, while all of them are asymptomatic, she said.

“Lahat close contacts nito are all under monitoring they are going to be monitored everyday until the time tapos na po ang protocols for monitoring,” Vergeire said.

“Yung isang may sintomas ay sinubject sa testing at currently isolated until we can get the results of the test,” she added.

Based on current protocols, foreign travelers who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are required to present a negative pre-departure antigen or RT-PCR test results before travel or upon arrival in the Philippines.

The DOH said those who are unable to present a negative test result are tested upon arrival at the airport.

In February 2022, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases relaxed the travel restrictions in the Philippines, allowing the entry of foreigners for business and tourism purposes under certain conditions. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News