MANILA, Philippines — Concerned over the “lack of proactive policies,” Senator Grace Poe prodded the government to decide on its arrival policy for travelers coming from China amid a COVID-19 case surge.
“The Executive should anticipate another pressing issue on the need for COVID testing requirements for all travelers arriving from China ahead of the expected lifting of Chinese travel restrictions on January 8,” Poe said in a statement.
“The PH (Philippine) government should decide definitively on the matter and inform all travelers beforehand,” she went on.
According to China’s National Health Commission, inbound travelers are no longer required to undergo quarantine starting January 8.
READ: No immediate surge of Chinese tourists expected after reopening
As COVID-19 infections in China skyrocket, several countries have imposed mandatory COVID-19 tests and other rules for travelers from China. These include the United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Israel, India, Morocco, Italy, and Spain.
READ: Global alarm grows over China’s COVID-19 surge
Poe lamented that the Philippines has a “lack of proactive policies” amid the rise of COVID-19 infections in China.
“The lack of proactive policies on the matter is concerning amid the rapidly developing situation overseas. Our experience in the past three years of the pandemic has shown that delayed and uninformed COVID-related policies are sometimes more deadly than the pandemic itself,” she pointed out.
“Now that we have reopened again, we need to build confidence that the Philippines is well-positioned and, hopefully, better informed in the fight against COVID,” the senator continued.
The Bureau of Immigration earlier assured that they are prepared to implement possible travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 surge from China.
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