HK under yellow list from green following cases of new COVID-19 strain
Hong Kong has been placed under yellow list from the green list following two recorded cases of the new COVID-19 strain named by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the Omicron variant.
"Inbound international travellers coming from Hong Kong shall comply with the testing and quarantine protocols for 'Yellow' list countries," Acting Presidential Spokesperson Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Sunday.
Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) approved on Sunday the inclusion of Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy under the Red List effective November 28, 2021 until December 15, 2021.These are the additions to South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique that were immediately placed under the Red List following the reported spread of the Omicron variant.
"Also approved in today’s meeting is the temporary suspension of IATF Resolution No. 150-A (s.2021) providing for the entry of fully vaccinated nationals of non-visa required countries under Executive Order No. 408 (s.1960), as amended, from Green List countries, jurisdictions or territories," he added.
"Inbound international travel of all persons, regardless of vaccination status, coming from or who have been to Red List countries, jurisdictions or territories within the last 14 days prior to arrival to any port of the Philippines shall not be allowed," he said.
"Only Filipinos returning to the country via government-initiated or non-government-initiated repatriation and Bayanihan Flights may be allowed entry subject to the prevailing entry, testing, and quarantine protocols for Red List countries, jurisdictions or territories," he added.
Nograles said the passengers in transit and all those who have been in the Red List countries, territories or jurisdictions within 14 days immediately preceding arrival to the Philippines, who arrive before 12:01 am of November 30 shall not be subject to this restriction from entry.
"They shall nevertheless be required to undergo facility-based quarantine for 14 days with testing on the 7th day, with day 1 being the date of arrival, notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result," he said.
"On the other hand, passengers who have already arrived prior to November 28 and are currently undergoing quarantine pursuant to the classifications of their country of origin, as the case may be, shall complete their respective testing and quarantine protocols," he added.
Nograles said in the case of passengers, whether Filipinos or foreigners, merely transiting through the Red List countries, "shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to said country if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry into such country by its immigration authorities."
"Upon their arrival in the Philippines, passengers covered by the immediately preceding paragraph shall comply with existing testing and quarantine protocols," he added.
Nograles said the "IATF likewise approved the temporary suspension of testing and quarantine protocols for countries, jurisdictions or territories classified as “Green” effective immediately until December 15, 2021."
"Except for countries classified as 'Red,' the testing and quarantine protocols for all inbound international travellers in all ports of entry shall comply with the testing and quarantine protocols for 'Yellow' list countries," he said.
"On the other hand, arriving passengers coming from Green List countries/territories/jurisdictions who arrived prior to November 28, 2021 may still follow quarantine protocols assigned to their country of origin upon the date of their arrival," Nograles explained.
Nograles said as Omicron is designated as a variant of concern, the IATF approved the recommendations to strengthen local COVID-19 response in the country.
"These include strongly enjoining the local government units to heighten their alert for increasing and clustering of cases and emphasizing the need for active case finding; to immediately conduct contact tracing and isolation of cases detected from case surveillance among the community, including domestic and international travelers; and to use RT-PCR testing in order to allow for whole-genome sequencing of collected samples," he said.
"The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Units are likewise directed to ensure targeted selection of samples for sequencing and address declining submissions of laboratories and regions from domestic and international travelers," he added.
Nograles said the "Bureau of Quarantine and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) with the local government units (LGUs) have been directed to identify and locate passengers who arrived within 14 days prior to November 29, 2021, from countries classified as Red, and require them to complete quarantine under a home quarantine set-up for 14 days from date of arrival and undergo RT-PCR if symptoms develop."
"The LGUs and the DILG are further directed to ensure strict implementation and adherence to the Prevent - Detect - Isolate - Test – Reintegrate strategy and adherence and compliance to minimum public health standards (MPHS) with the directive given to the Philippine National Police to enforce MPHS compliance," he said.
"In addition, the Department of Health is directed to ensure health system capacity is prepared to address increase of COVID-19 cases, if any; while the Sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics is directed to begin preparing models to show potential impact of the Omicron variant to prevailing protocols and approvals of the IATF," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
