Safeguards in place despite lifting of travel restrictions on 10 countries — DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday defended the government’s decision to lift the restrictions for people traveling from 10 countries, saying border control measures remain in place.

The travel restrictions on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia were lifted on Monday after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the COVID-19 task force over the weekend.

In an online briefing, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the COVID-19 situation has improved in countries previously covered by the travel ban such as India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

She said these countries have been placed on the "Yellow list” for having moderate risk for COVID-19.

“Pero hindi naman po natin kailangan mag-alala dahil may mga safeguards po tayo. Hindi man natin irestrict ang isang bansa mayroon po tayong strict border control kung saan lahat po ng dumadating na travelers ay nirerequire nating mag quarantine. Wala po tayong exemption,” she said.

(But we don’t have to worry because we have safeguards in place. Even if we don’t impose a travel restriction on a particular country, our strict border control requires travelers to undergo quarantine. There is no exemption.)

Inbound travelers from areas on the "Yellow list," regardless of their vaccination status, shall undergo 14-day quarantine upon arrival, with the first 10 days at a quarantine facility and the remaining four days under home quarantine.

They will also have RT-PCR testing on the seventh day, counting the day of their arrival as Day 1.

Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega also defended the move, adding that the Bureau of Quantine (BOQ) imposes strict quarantine measures for incoming travelers.

“Ang travel ban lifted iyan kasi ang BOQ pinaghihigpitan ang isolation and testing before ma-release 'yung passenger coming from abroad," Vega, also the country's treatment czar, said over GTV’s Balitanghali.

(The travel ban was lifted because the BOQ is strict with the isolation and testing before passengers from abroad are released.)

“So importante na hindi sila makakalusot sa BOQ na kung puwede na kapag dumating sila, ma-quarantine kaagad, ma-test for a number of days bago i-release sa LGUs (local government units),” he added.

(So it’s important that passengers don’t get pass by the BOQ. Upon arrival, they will be quarantined, tested before being released.)

Vice President Leni Robredo has questioned the lifting of travel curbs, arguing coronavirus infections in the country continued to spike. She said decisions should be guided by data.

“Sana lahat ng policy data driven. Hindi ko alam kung bakit nagtatanggal tayo restriction, ngayong pataas nang taas ng kaso natin. In fact, 'yung ibang bansa nga napaka-strikto,” Robredo said in her weekly radio program over the weekend.

(I hope all of our policies are data-driven. I don't know why we removed this restriction when our cases are increasing. Other countries are very strict.) — with Consuelo Marquez/ RSJ, GMA News