8 countries, territories on IATF’s ‘red’ list until Dec. 31

MANILA – Eight countries, territories, and/or jurisdictions are on the Philippines’ “red” list from December 16 to 31, which means travelers from these destinations are barred from entering the country due to high risk of Covid-19 infection.

Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the eight destinations on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) red list are Andorra, France, Monaco, Northern Mariana Islands, Reunion, San Marino, South Africa, and Switzerland.

“Hindi po pinapayagan ang inbound international travel ng mga taong galing o nanggaling sa red list within 14 days prior to arrival to the Philippines ano man ang kanilang vaccination status (The inbound international travel of all persons, regardless of vaccination status, coming from or who have been to red list countries, jurisdictions, and territories within the last 14 days prior to arrival to any port of the Philippines shall not be allowed),” Nograles said in a Palace press briefing.

Only Filipinos returning to the country via government-initiated repatriation, non-government-initiated repatriation, and Bayanihan Flights may be allowed entry.

Fully vaccinated international arriving passengers shall be required to present a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test taken within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin.

They shall also be required to undergo facility-based quarantine with an RT-PCR test taken on the 7th day.

They may be discharged from the facility upon the release of a negative RT-PCR result but shall observe home quarantine until the 14th day of arrival with the date of arrival being the first day.

On the other hand, international arriving passengers who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or whose vaccination status cannot be independently validated shall be required to present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin.

They shall be required to undergo a mandatory 10-day facility-based quarantine with RT-PCR testing on the 7th day.

They may be discharged only upon the completion of a 10-day facility-based quarantine, regardless of a negative RT-PCR result, and shall observe home quarantine until the 14th day of arrival with the date of arrival being the first day.

Passengers merely transiting through red list countries, territories, and jurisdictions shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to said country, territory, and jurisdiction if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry into such country, territory, and jurisdiction by its immigration authorities.

Upon arrival in the Philippines, passengers who merely transited through a red list country, territory, and jurisdiction shall comply with existing testing and quarantine protocols.

‘Green’ list

Meanwhile, Nograles said the IATF-EID also placed 41 countries, territories, and/or jurisdictions on its “green” list or those at low risk of Covid-19 infection.

Destinations on the green list are Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands, Chad, People’s Republic of China, Comoros, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Hongkong, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Montserrat Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saba (Special municipality of the Kingdom of The Netherlands), Saint Barthelemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Sudan, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, and United Arab Emirates.

He said the IATF has also temporarily suspended testing and quarantine protocols for countries, jurisdictions, and/or territories classified as green.

The testing and quarantine protocols of international arriving passengers coming from green list countries, jurisdictions, and territories shall comply with the latest testing and quarantine protocols approved by the IATF, he added.

Countries initially classified under the green list based on case and test metrics but with local transmission of Omicron will be reclassified as a yellow risk country or those at moderate risk of Covid-19 infection.

“Kapag po may local transmission ng Omicron ay mare-reclassify sila bilang yellow list (If there is a local transmission of Omicron, that destination will be reclassified as on the yellow list),” Nograles said.