Gov’t OKs entry of foreign nationals with existing visas by August 1

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign nationals with long-term visas can now enter the country beginning August 1, 2020, Malacañang announced Friday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) set certain conditions prior to the entry of the foreign nationals.

“They must first have valid and existing visas at the time of the entry.  This means no new entry visa shall be accepted,” Roque said in a statement.

“They are likewise subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry, as returning overseas Filipinos will be given priority,” he added.

Foreign nationals must also secure a pre-booked accredited quarantine facility and a pre-booked COVID-19 testing provider.

Last week, the government eased travel restrictions for Filipinos, allowing non-essential travel abroad including for tourism purposes.

According to the Johns Hopkins University and Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center, 13.7 million people worldwide have been infected with COVID-19 so far.

In the Philippines, the COVID-19 caseload surpassed the 61,000 mark on Thursday with the addition of 2,498 cases.

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