PH adds Czech Republic in list of countries with travel curbs over new virus variant
MANILA, Philippines — The Czech Republic has been included in the list of countries with travel restrictions in the Philippines due to the new Covid-19 variant, Malacañang said Tuesday.
The travel restriction imposed on Czech Republic will take effect starting January 28, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. But the government earlier said travel curbs against countries with detected coronavirus variants will only last until January 31 – although extendible upon the discretion of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Filipino citizens coming from, or who have been to the Czech Republic, within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, including those arriving after January 28, 2021, 12:01AM, Manila time, shall be allowed to enter the Philippines,” Roque said in a statement.
Passengers entering the country must undergo a swab test upon arrival, he added, and must also remain under strict quarantine until the results of their second swab test, to be administered on their fifth day in isolation, is released.
“Those who tested negative from both RT-PCR [reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction] tests will be endorsed to their respective local government units, which will strictly monitor the remainder of their 14-day quarantine,” Roque said.
READ: PH extends travel restriction on countries with new COVID-19 variant until Jan 31
So far, there are 17 individuals in the Philippines who have been confirmed infected with the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
The first confirmed case is a 29-year-old male patient from Quezon City who traveled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in December and came home to the Philippines in early January.
Of the 16 other cases, 12 were from Bontoc in Mountain Province, two were returning overseas Filipino workers from Lebanon, from La Trinidad in Benguet, and another from Calamba, Laguna.
Earlier this week, health authorities said the 23-year-old man from Calamba whose specimen was collected on December 10, 2020 was the country’s earliest case of the UK Covid-19 variant.
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