Inbound travel from UK suspended starting Dec. 24

Passengers coming from or with travel history from the UK who are already in transit to the country, provided that they arrive before 12:01 a.m. of December 24, will not be subject to the restriction but will be required to undergo mandatory completion of the 14-day quarantine at the Athlete’s Village in New Clark City regardless of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results. (Pexels photo)

MANILA – Following reports of a newly-detected variant of the SARS-CoV-2 spreading in the United Kingdom (UK), the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has recommended restrictions on inbound travel from the UK from December 24 to December 31 this year.

In a press release on Wednesday, the Department of Health said the measure also seeks to curb the anticipated increase in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases during the holiday season.

With President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval and upon the signing of IATF-EID Resolution 90 dated December 22, all flights from the UK will be temporarily suspended and all passengers coming from or transiting through the UK, including those with a history of travel to the UK within 14 days before arriving in the Philippines, are temporarily restricted from entering the country.

Passengers coming from or with travel history from the UK who are already in transit to the country, provided that they arrive before 12:01 a.m. of December 24, will not be subject to the restriction but will be required to undergo mandatory completion of the 14-day quarantine at the Athlete’s Village in New Clark City regardless of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results.

Outbound passengers will be allowed to travel to the UK provided they adhere to the exit protocols of the IATF-EID being implemented by the Bureau of Immigration.

 (PR)