IATF revises rules for ‘recovered ’Filipino arrivals who again tested positive

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles during the Laging Handa press briefing on the update of COVID 19. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The government’s pandemic task force has allowed the entry of Filipinos from abroad who recently recovered from COVID-19 but still showed a positive result in their predeparture tests.

These travelers would be subject to quarantine upon arrival and would have to present certain documents in lieu of a negative result from their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, according to Secretary Karlo Nograles, who cochairs the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

He said they must show a medical certificate from a physician stating that they have completed their mandatory isolation period, are no longer infectious, and are allowed free travel and movement.

Risk classification

The task force also said, regarding the positive RT-PCR tests of those passengers, that these should have been taken either “within 48 hours prior to the date/time of departure from country/port of origin,” or “not earlier than 10 days but not later than 30 days prior to date/time of departure from country/port of origin.”

Upon arrival, they must undergo facility quarantine, with the protocols depending on the risk classification of their country of origin.

Green list countries

But fully vaccinated travelers from low risk or green list countries would be required to undergo a facility-based quarantine, as also prescribed for fully vaccinated travelers from yellow or moderate risk countries.

Fully vaccinated travelers from yellow list countries are to go through an RT-PCR test on the fifth day and may be released upon testing negative. But they must still be quarantined at home up to the seventh day from their arrival.

Fully vaccinated travelers from green countries with a negative RT-PCR test are allowed to skip facility quarantine.