MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will place France on its “red list” or a roster of countries deemed as high-risk for COVID-19 from December 10-15, Malacañang announced Wednesday.
Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said this move was upon the approval of the government’s pandemic policy-making body, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases or IATF.
This means that foreign travelers from France are barred from entering the Philippines during the period.
Nograles said passengers who have been to France within 14 days and arrive on December 10-13 may be allowed entry but must undergo a 14-day facility-based quarantine and RT-PCR test on the 7th day upon arrival.
Travelers must complete their 14-day quarantine despite a negative RT-PCR test result.
Starting at 12:01 a.m. of December 13 until December 15, travelers coming from or who have been to France within the last 14 days will be barred from entering any port of the Philippines regardless of their vaccination status, Nograles also said.
Only Filipinos returning to the country via government-initiated or non-government-initiated repatriation, and Bayanihan Flights may be allowed entry, subject to existing testing and quarantine protocols for “red list” countries or territories, Nograles explained.
Testing and quarantine protocols for minors shall follow the testing and quarantine protocols of the parent or guardian with them, regardless of their vaccination status, he also said.
Children 3 years old and below, regardless of country of origin, shall be exempt from the requirement of presenting a negative RT-PCR test result before boarding the flight, unless symptomatic, he added.
Meanwhile, passengers who arrived prior to December 10 and currently undergoing quarantine shall complete the testing and quarantine protocols in effect at the time of their arrival.
All passengers, whether Filipinos or foreigners, merely transiting through France shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to the said country if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry into such country by its immigration authorities, Nograles said.
Thus, upon arrival in the Philippines, they shall comply with the applicable testing and quarantine protocols for passengers who have not been to any red list country.
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