Philippine News Agency
74 overseas travelers checked for new Covid-19 variant
Out of 3,684 individuals who returned to the Philippines between December 22, 2020, and January 3, 2021, 74 travelers tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in a 2 percent positivity rate.
Samples from these 74 positive cases are undergoing analysis at the Philippine Genome Center and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine to detect any new COVID-19 variants.
National Task Force Against Covid-19 deputy chief implementer Vivencio Dizon stated that despite the low positivity rate, a mandatory 14-day quarantine is necessary for all returning Filipinos to mitigate risks.
This mandatory quarantine aims to prevent the entry of new, more contagious COVID-19 variants into the Philippines.
The government has also implemented temporary travel restrictions for travelers coming from 21 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Singapore.
There are 120 accredited hotels available for mandatory quarantine, with some offered for free and others requiring travelers to shoulder the costs.
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The Philippines has officially included the United States in its travel ban list due to the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant.
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The Department of Health (DOH) has recommended a 14-day travel ban on countries that have detected the new, more contagious COVID-19 variant, in addition to the United Kingdom.
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A 30-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from Cagayan Valley, who works as a domestic helper in Hong Kong, tested positive for the UK COVID-19 variant.
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The Philippine government has extended the temporary suspension of flights from, and the prohibition of entry of travelers coming from or transiting through the United Kingdom until January 15, 2021.
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