Overseas Filipino workers arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 in Parañaque City on July 1, 2021. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — The Philippines will suspend the entry of travelers from 4 countries that belong to a shortened "Red List", government said on Friday, as it fought an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
The COVID-19 task force trimmed the red list from 9 countries down to 4, including from Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Serbia, and Slovenia, said Malacañang spokesperson Harry Roque.
This new classification shall take effect on Sept. 19 to 30, he said in a statement.
Authorities earlier said passengers who have been to "Red List" countries within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines would be denied entry.
The curb exempts returning Filipinos via government-initiated or non-government repatriation programs and special commercial flights.
The inter-agency task force on COVID-19 also updated the list of "Green" territories, including the following, effective Sept. 19, said Roque.
- American Samoa
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Cayman Islands
- Chad
- China
- Comoros
- Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
- Gabon
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Montserrat
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Niger
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Palau
- Poland
- Saba (Special Municipality of the Kingdom of Netherlands)
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Sierra Leone
- Sint Eustatius
- Taiwan
- Algeria
- Bhutan
- Cook Islands
- Eritrea
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Nauru
- Nicaragua
- Niue
- North Korea
- Saint Helena
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tajikstan
- Tanzania
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Yemen
Fully vaccinated travelers from green countries are required to complete a 7-day facility-based quarantine, instead of 10 days, officials earlier said.
The Philippines has logged some 2.2 million coronavirus infections, including 36,018 deaths.