A seven-day quarantine has been imposed on returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and foreign tourists in line with quarantine requirements in Hong Kong and Thailand, and “Green lanes” are being set up for this purpose at the airports, according to Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
Noting that the DOT plans to emulate the quarantine requirements in Hong Kong and Thailand in rolling out the green lane for vaccinated passengers arriving at international gateways, she told media here that in using the green lane, returning OFWs and foreign nationals who received their complete dose of COVID-19 vaccines would be quarantined for seven days – instead of the current 14 days – upon entry into the Philippines.
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The present situation witnessed 10 days stay in a hotel and another four days at home – irrespective of being vaccinated or not — that was too costly for the balikbayans and OFWs, Puyat said, adding that the DOT is looking into the entry procedures of Hong Kong and Thailand to evaluate which one is best for the Philippines.
Hong Kong allows vaccinated foreigners into its region for longer stay if they are from low-risk countries identified by authorities. However, Thailand – which allowed entry for vaccinated entrants irrespective of their coming from a high risk area or not — reverted their quarantine requirement on May 6 to 14 days in a bid to decrease the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
“if other countries are reducing the quarantine period), then it should be discussed with the Department of Health and health experts,” Puyat said, adding that the DOT will push for resumption of commercial flights by June to widen the options in going around the country – where, at present, travelers from Metro Manila need to book point-to-point flights to reach a destination outside of the region.
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The small working group working on the ‘green lane’ specifics will convene today to discuss, among others, whether certain countries will be flagged and if specific vaccines will be required. The European Union is looking at mandating a vaccine passport from foreign visitors as a way to restart tourism in some of its member countries. Some EU policymakers, however, demand that tourists who received Chinese vaccines be barred from entering the region on efficacy issues.
Tourism Congress of the Philippines president Jose Clemente III had earlier warned the DOT to look into cautionary tales of island destinations abroad that resumed international travel — only to suffer a new wave of infections. Clemente had asked the government to speed up the vaccination program to make it safe as well for host communities to interact with foreign tourists. (AW)
