Manila Bulletin
PH maintains policy on restricting foreign travelers amid Omicron variant concerns
The government has expanded the travel ban to include 14 countries due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Initially, the ban targeted seven African countries where the variant was first detected.
An additional seven European countries have now been added to the red list: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy.
Passengers arriving from these red list countries within the last 14 days are prohibited from entering the Philippines.
Filipino citizens are exempt from the entry ban but must undergo strict health and quarantine protocols.
The travel restrictions are in effect from Sunday until December 15.
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Philippine Airlines (PAL) has updated its reentry protocols in response to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases' (IATF) expansion of "Red" list countries due to the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
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Hong Kong has been placed on the "yellow list" for travelers entering the Philippines due to the emergence of the Omicron variant.
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The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has announced that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) bound for countries on the Philippines' 'red list' will be prohibited from traveling.
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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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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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