MANILA — The Philippines should impose fresh travel restrictions on travelers from China, a public health expert said Tuesday, as the most populous country battled a new wave of COVID-19 cases.

Visitors from China must provide a negative COVID-19 test before and after arrival, suggested Dr. Tony Leachon, a former adviser of the Philippine government's coronavirus task force.

"We need to ask the Chinese visitors to submit RT-PCR test 48 hours prior to the flight and of course, test them upon arrival," he told ANC's "Rundown".

"If they are to be positive, they will be quarantined for about 7 days."

• Why China's COVID wave is stirring fear

China is experiencing a huge COVID-19 surge after years of hardline containment restrictions were dismantled last month.

A growing number of countries are worried about a lack of data and transparency surrounding China's outbreak, prompting them to impose fresh travel regulations.

Beijing has admitted the scale of the outbreak has become "impossible" to track following the end of mandatory mass testing last month.

The National Health Commission also stopped publishing daily nationwide infection and death statistics.

'ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE'

While the Philippines' COVID-19 situation has become manageable, Leachon warned that circulating coronavirus subvariants could upend it.

"With any subvariant, anything is possible for the Philippines," he said, adding there is waning immunity among the public from the primary vaccination.

Many countries have cited concerns over potential new variants as a reason to screen Chinese arrivals for COVID.

But there is yet no evidence of new strains emerging from the current wave.

Chinese health experts have said in recent days that the omicron subvariants BA.5.2 and BF.7 are most prevalent in Beijing, in response to public fears that the delta variant may still be circulating.

They said omicron also remained the most dominant strain in Shanghai.

• Soaring China COVID cases increase risk of new variants: experts

The Department of Health has said the country's health protocols remain effective against any COVID-19 variant.

Imposing additional restrictions on incoming travelers or any revision in the country's COVID-19 protocols should be science and evidence-based, the DOH added.

• PH health protocols still 'effective' vs COVID-19 variants - DOH
• DOH heightens monitoring of travelers from China amid COVID-19 surge

'ALWAYS POLITICAL'

But for Leachon, the Philippines should calibrate its COVID-19 protocols as health experts around the world expect a new COVID-19 surge in the next 3 months.

He said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should bring back the mandatory face mask mandate and procure bivalent vaccines and more antiviral drugs.

Leachon said politics could be keeping the Philippines from imposing COVID-19 test requirements when around a dozen countries have already taken steps to screen travelers from China.

"The decision in our country is mainly anchored on political reasons and of course, business," he added.

Marcos Jr. is flying to China on Tuesday for a 3-day state visit where both nations "will have in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual interest".

• Marcos 1st head of state to visit China in 2023
• Marcos Jr. set to go to China for state visit from January 3 to 5

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— With reports from Davinci Maru, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse