(Eagle News) — Starting today, Thursday, Oct. 14, fully vaccinated foreign nationals from the so-called “green countries” will no longer be required to undergo facility-based quarantine upon arrival, according to Malacanang on Wednesday, Oct. 13.
Instead, the fully vaccinated foreign nationals are just “enjoined to self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day.”
They are also required to have a negative RT-PCR test “within 72 hours prior to the departure from the country of origin.”
The countries under the so-called “Green List” are the following:
American Samoa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Chad, China, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Gabon, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), Hungary, Madagascar, Mali, Federated States of Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niger, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Poland, Saba (Special Municipality of the Kingdom of Netherlands), Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Taiwan, Algeria, Bhutan, Cook Islands, Eritrea, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niue, North Korea, Saint Helena, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Syria, Tajikstan, Tanzania, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Yemen
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the United States is not among the green-listed countries. The US is among the countries in the “Yellow List”
On the other hand, fully vaccinated Filipinos, have two options. First, they “can choose facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR test taken in the quarantine facility upon arrival.” Second, they can choose “facility-based quarantine after getting a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin.” But the the passenger is still “enjoined to self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day.”
“For the unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or individuals whose vaccination status cannot be independently verified, and those vaccinated but failed to comply with the test-before-travel requirements, they shall undergo a facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR test taken on the 5th day,” a Palace release said.
“In the case of foreign nationals, they shall be required to secure hotel reservations for at least six days.”
Malacanang said “unvaccinated or partially vaccinated minor children traveling with their fully vaccinated parent/s or guardians shall be required to observe the quarantine protocols corresponding to their vaccination status.”
The child’s parent or guardian shall accompany him or her in the quarantine facility for the full term of the latter’s facility-based quarantine period.
Malacanang said that those who were vaccinated in the Philippines, including OFWs and their spouse, parent, or children travelling in the Philippines and abroad, can present their VaxCertPH digital certificate.
Or they can present the “Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) / World Health Organization (WHO) – issued International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICV), or the national digital certificate of the foreign government where they were vaccinated.”
This can also be done by non-OFWs vaccinated in the country and abroad, and foreigners vaccinated in the Philippines .
“In the case of foreigners vaccinated abroad, they can present WHO-issued ICV, or the national digital certificate of the foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal agreement,” the Palace said.
(Eagle News Service)