Gov’t urged to consider swab test requirement for travelers from countries with COVID surge

(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LYN RILLON)

MANILA, Philippines — An infectious disease expert on Thursday advised the government to review the need for a negative RT-PCR test from travelers coming from countries with a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Dr. Rontgene Solante, chief of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine unit of the San Lazaro Hospital, made the suggestion after the government allowed foreign nationals and returning overseas Filipinos to present a negative laboratory-based antigen test prior to entry in the Philippines.

“First of all, dapat walang symptoms ‘yung mga pumapasok dito. Pero siguro kung halimbawa sa mga galing sa ibang bansa kagaya ng mataas ang kaso ngayon, I would highly suggest na dapat tingnan natin, baka kailangan natin ‘yung RT-PCR sa mga ganitong klaseng bansa,” he said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

(First of all, those entering the country should not have symptoms. But for countries with a high number of COVID-19 cases, I would highly suggest that an RT-PCR be required.)

Solante said the government may also consider looking at the vaccination status of travelers from countries experiencing a COVID-19 surge, in order to see if they are fully vaccinated and have received booster shots.

To recall, the government only previously required a negative RT-PCR test result from foreign nationals and returning Filipinos taken within 48 hours prior to their arrival.

But on March 11, acting presidential deputy spokesperson Kristian Ablan said that a negative laboratory-based antigen test may also be an option if it is taken within 24 hours prior to arrival to the Philippines.

Solante, however, said the government should review protocols in countries that are currently experiencing a surge in cases.

“Ang talagang importante, titingnan nila ngayon, they have to review itong mga bansa na mayroong pataas ang mga kaso kasi alam naman natin na most of those na nakikita natin like ‘yung BA.2 ay galing sa ibang bansa,” he said, referring to a sub-lineage of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

(What is important is they should look at and review countries with surging COVID-19 cases because we know that most of the variants we saw and the BA.2 sublineage came from other countries.)

He added that it is important for airport personnel and those accommodating arriving travelers at the country’s borders to be fully vaccinated and get booster shots.

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