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IATF shortens hotel quarantine of fully vaccinated overseas Filipinos coming from 'yellow countries'

By Camille Santiago Published Nov 19, 2021 7:00 pm Updated Nov 19, 2021 8:05 pm

The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced on Friday, Nov. 19 that the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) has shortened hotel quarantine periods for fully vaccinated returning overseas Filipinos from “yellow countries,” including USA and Canada. Instead of five days, travellers are allowed to quarantine for just three days starting Nov. 22.

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said that those who have been fully vaccinated need to undergo a pre-departure swab test 72 hours before departing the “yellow countries.” If they test negative, Filipino returnees will be required to undergo three-day quarantine in accredited hotels. They will also be required to take a swab test on the third day, and will be released after testing negative. However, travellers are encouraged to complete self-monitoring up to the 14th day of their arrival.

For fully vaccinated individuals who will not be able to secure a pre-departure swab test, they will be quarantined in the facility until the fifth day. Once they test negative on the RT-PCR test, they will be asked to complete the quarantine at home until the 10th day.

Unvaccinated visitors shall undergo facility-based quarantine with testing on the seventh day, to be followed by home quarantine up to 14th day upon the release of a negative test result.

“Yellow countries” refer to those countries and territories that are not listed under the “green list” and “red list.”

Currently, the “green list” consists of 49 countries while the “red list” consists of just two countries, namely Faroe Islands and The Netherlands.

Countries included in the Green List are American Samoa, Bhutan, Chad, China (Mainland), Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Federated States of Micronesia, Guinea, Hong Kong (SAR), India, Indonesia, Japan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Montserrat, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, South Africa, Sudan, Taiwan, Togo, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Puyat said of the decision: “This latest development will greatly contribute to the on-going recovery of the tourism sector this holiday season while also providing more time to those who want to return home to be with their loved ones in the Philippines.”