Philippines imposes travel restrictions on UAE, Hungary

The Philippines has included the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hungary in the list of countries covered by travel restrictions due to the new coronavirus variant, Malacañang said Friday.

Approved by the Office of the President, the entry ban on foreigners from the UAE and Hungary will be implemented from January 17 to 31, said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.The Department of Health earlier pushed for the inclusion of the UAE after the UK variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 was detected on a Filipino who recently traveled to the Arab nation.

Foreigners who arrive before January 17 will be required to undergo a facility-based 14-day quarantine, even if they obtain a negative RT-PCR test result.

Filipinos will be allowed to enter the Philippines as long as they undergo screening for COVID-19 and 14-day facility-based quarantine.

Earlier, the government extended until January 31 the travel restrictions on foreign passengers from 32 countries to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus variant.

The entry ban was supposed to expire on Friday.

Roque said all unaccompanied minor Filipino citizens coming from countries where travel restrictions are in place on account of the new variants of COVID-19 would not be allowed boarding by the airlines until January 31, except minors returning through the repatriation program of the national government.

These repatriated minors will be turned over to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration house parent who, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), should ensure the minors’ safety and their observance of quarantine protocols.

All unaccompanied minor Filipino citizens who land on Philippine airports, notwithstanding the prohibition against boarding, should not be sent back to their port of departure.

However, they will be turned over to an authorized DSWD officer who can ensure the minors’ safety and their observance of quarantine protocols. -NB, GMA News