PH exempts repatriation efforts from travel restrictions on India, 6 other countries

(File photo from DFA)

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s COVID-19 task force has exempted repatriation efforts of Filipinos from the travel restrictions the Philippines imposed on India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

The travel curbs on the said countries were imposed to prevent the entry of B.1.617 or the COVID-19 variant first detected in India.

This is in effect until June 15, 2021.  

In a statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said all repatriates from these countries with travel restrictions must be placed on a “strict 14-day facility-based quarantine from the date of arrival in the Philippines, with the date of arrival being the first day.”

In case of non-government repatriation efforts, Roque said concerned local manning agencies (in the case of seafarers), the Philippine recruitment agency (for land-based workers), or the sponsoring Philippine government agency shall submit an exemption request to the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).

Once approved, Filipino repatriates from countries with travel restrictions must present a negative RT-PCR test result taken 48 hours prior to boarding the aircraft going to the Philippines.

A copy of the Filipino repatriate’s negative RT-PCR test result will be submitted to the BOQ upon arrival in the Philippines.

In case of repatriation organized by the government, Roque said coordination among the Department of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Transportation, BOQ, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 must be made “at least 48 hours prior to the departure from the country of origin.”

Further, the COVID-19 task force has also allowed entry of foreign nationals holding Special Resident Retiree’s Visa even without an exemption document.

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