MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommended expansion of the country’s entry ban on travelers coming from the United Kingdom to cover 19 other countries amid reported cases of a new variant of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in these areas, Malacañang said Tuesday.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said travelers from the UK are temporarily barred from entering the Philippines until January 15, 2021.

The travel ban has been extended to cover those coming from 19 other countries:

• Denmark
• Ireland
• Japan
• Australia
• Israel
• The Netherlands
• Hong Kong, SAR
• Switzerland
• France
• Germany
• Iceland
• Italy
• Lebanon
• Singapore
• Sweden
• South Korea
• South Africa
• Canada
• Spain

Roque said the expanded travel restriction takes effect on December 30, 2020, 12:01 AM until January 15, 2021, covering all foreign travelers coming from, or transiting through, the said countries.

Passengers who are already in transit and are expected to arrive before December 30, 2020, 12:01 AM, from the 19 countries/areas listed above shall not be prohibited from entering the country but will be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR test result

“The Office of the President, upon the joint recommendation of the Department of Health and the Department of Foreign Affairs, may impose restrictions to travelers coming from other countries that report the presence of the new variant of COVID-19,” Roque said.

Outbound travel to countries with reported new variants shall be subject to exiting protocols of the Philippines and the entry protocols of the respective countries, he added.

MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) as directed by President Rodrigo Duterte, has extended the travel ban for flights coming from the United Kingdom (UK) for two more weeks after December 31.

“Consequently, all passengers who have been to the UK in the last 14 days prior to arrival in the country are still restricted entry until January 14, 2021,” according to Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente.

The ban follows reports of a new strain of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the UK, which is reportedly 70% more infectious.

READ: PH announces entry ban of all UK flights starting Dec. 24

Currently, the BI is implementing a strict 100% passport inspection to determine the travel history of arriving passengers in the last 14 days.

Meanwhile, the BI vowed to expedite the Implementing Rules and Regulations for Executive Order No. 122 or the Strengthening Border Control Through the Adoption and Implementation of the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS).

The APIS is an electronic communications system that collects biographic data on passenger or crew, which is transmitted to the BI prior to arrival, and allows for early vetting on the admissibility of an arriving alien.

“The API system is very timely, as apart from protecting the country from aliens with derogatory records, it would allow us to deny the boarding of passengers who have a travel history to the UK in the last 14 days, instead of having to detect them upon arrival in the country,” Morente said.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday said it will be implementing the resolution of the government’s task force on COVID-19 response, temporarily banning all flights from the United Kingdom (UK) starting December 24.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said that under the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) Resolution No. 90, all flights from the UK until December 31.

This means that all passengers who have been to the UK in the last 14 days are temporarily banned from entering the country. The travel restriction also covers transiting passengers from the UK.

“I have instructed a strict implementation of our 100% passport inspection to ensure that we are able to detect anyone who has been to the UK in the last 14 days,” Morente said in a statement.

Those who arrived from the UK before December 24 shall be allowed entry, but will be referred to the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) and the One Stop Shop for implementation of strict quarantine and testing protocols.

Filipinos will also be allowed to enter the country even after December 24, but will also be referred to the BOQ and the One Stop Shop.

The BI said that following the IATF’s resolution, outbound travel to the United Kingdom remains allowed, subject to the presentation of a confirmed round trip ticket for short-term our tourist visa holders, travel and health insurance to cover travel disruptions in case of Covid-19 infections during their allowable period of stay abroad, and signing at the ports of a declaration acknowledging the risks involved in traveling, including the risk of delay in their return trip.

The government imposed the ban following reports about a new coronavirus strain detected in the United Kingdom.