Manila Bulletin
BI says passengers from South Africa, six others banned entry due to Omicron COVID-19
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has temporarily barred travelers from seven African countries starting November 28, 2021, to prevent the entry of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant.
The African nations affected by the travel ban are South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique.
This directive is in line with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases' (IATF) efforts to contain the spread of the new variant.
The travel restriction will be in effect until December 15, 2021, with the IATF expected to decide on its extension or lifting.
Individuals with a travel history from these countries within the preceding 14 days will also be denied entry into the Philippines.
Existing bans on travelers from the Faroe Islands and the Netherlands remain in place until December 15, 2021.
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News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
The Philippines has imposed an immediate travel ban on travelers from South Africa and six other African countries due to the emergence of the new COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529.
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The Department of Health (DOH) is still trying to locate 182 travelers from South Africa who arrived in the Philippines between November 15 and 29.
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The government has expanded the travel ban to include 14 countries due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
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The National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 clarified that inbound flights from Hong Kong are still allowed, pending a final recommendation from the Technical Working Group and a decision from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).
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The Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) reported that most travelers who arrived in the Philippines from Omicron-affected countries like South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Egypt are currently under quarantine and have not shown any COVID-19 symptoms so far.
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