The Philippines would be implementing new COVID-19 testing guidelines and quarantine measures for travelers arriving in the Philippines starting February 1.
The revised protocols are part of the country’s move to prevent the spread of more infectious variants of the coronavirus.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Wednesday that arriving passengers, regardless of their origin, will be required to undergo facility-based quarantine upon arrival. He added it was the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) made on Tuesday.
RT-PCR tests would no longer be upon arrival but on the fifth day from their date of arrival in the country unless the traveler shows symptoms before the date of testing.
Those who would test negative for COVID-19 would be endorsed to their respective local government units, but would still have to finish the remainder of their 14-day quarantine.
“Appropriate patient management shall be observed,” Roque said.
The government implemented a travel ban on foreign passengers from 35 countries as a precautionary measure against the new COVID-19 variants. The travel restrictions would be until January 31 unless further extended.
Travelers arriving in PH to be tested on 5th day from arrival
The Philippines has so far recorded 17 UK variant cases, 12 of which were from Bontoc, Mountain Province.
However, the Department of Health has yet to see if there is a case of community transmission of the UK variant of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bontoc, Mountain Province.
This is even if there is a traveler from the UK connected to the COVID-19 infection cluster in town.
Barangay Samoki in Bontoc recorded 11 cases of the UK variant. All of them are said to be connected to the couple who returned from the United Kingdom on December 11.
Meanwhile, the patient who tested positive for the UK COVID-19 variant in Calamba City was a radiologic technician from Britain who returned to the Philippines during the Christmas season.
Mark Salazar reported on “24 Oras” that the 23-year-old male technician arrived in the Philippines on December 4, weeks before the country imposed a travel ban on passengers from the UK where the B.1.1.7 variant originated.