Amid the increase of COVID-19 cases in the country, the Philippines lifted the temporary travel restriction in 10 countries starting Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Saturday.

Roque said "President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to lift the current travel restrictions in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia starting September 6 ."

He said the IATF also updated the list of considered “Green” countries.

These are American Samoa, Anguilla, Australia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Chad, China, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Gabon, Grenada, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), Hungary, Mali, Federated States of Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niger, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Poland, Saba, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Slovakia and Taiwan.

Roque said international travelers coming from the ten countries "shall however, comply with the appropriate entry, testing and quarantine protocols, depending on the country’s approved 'listing'."

"The IATF approved the adoption of the "yellow and red" classifications, in addition to the “green list” countries, jurisdictions, or territories," he said.

Roque said the color classification will be based on the country's respective incidence rates and case counts as primary criteria, and testing data as secondary criteria.

"The incidence rate is the cumulative new cases over the past 28 days per 100,000 population while case counts are cumulative new cases over the past 28 days," he said.

Roque said "the IATF classified “Yellow List” countries as “Moderate Risk” based on the following metrics: (i) for populations greater than 100,000, the incidence rate shall be 50 to 500; and (ii) for populations less than 100,000, the COVID-19 case counts shall be 50 to 500; and testing rate of tests over the past 28 days per 100,000 population."

"Inbound international travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, coming from or with travel history within the last 14 days prior to their arrival in the Philippines from “Yellow List” countries, jurisdictions, or territories shall be governed by entry, testing and quarantine protocols," he said.

"First, they shall undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. They have to complete the first 10 days in a quarantine facility while the remaining 4 days must be spent under home quarantine in their respective local government units of destination. Second, they shall undergo RT-PCR testing on the 7th day, with their day of arrival serving as Day 1. Notwithstanding a negative test result, they have to complete their facility quarantine for 10 days," said Roque.

"Third, the Bureau of Quarantine shall ensure strict symptom monitoring while in the facility quarantine for 10 days. Fourth, the foregoing shall be subject to special protocols approved by the IATF or the Office of the President for certain classes of travelers or ports of origin," he added.

Roque said "the IATF classified “Red List” countries/jurisdictions/territories as “High Risk” based on the following metrics: (i) for populations greater than 100,000 the incidence rate shall be more than 500; and (ii) for populations less than 100,000, the COVID-19 case counts shall be more than 500, and testing rate of tests over the past 28 days per 100,000 population."

"Inbound international travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, coming from or who have been to “Red List” countries/jurisdictions/territories shall not be allowed to enter the Philippines," he said.

"Only Filipinos returning to the country via government-initiated repatriation, non-government-initiated repatriation, and Bayanihan flights may be allowed entry, subject to entry, testing and quarantine protocols," he added.

Compared to the entry, testing and quarantine protocols for the countries in yellow list, the countries in the red list has two additional protocols which states that "all passengers, whether Filipinos or foreigners, merely transiting through a “Red List” country, jurisdiction, or territory shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to said country, jurisdiction, or territory if they stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry by its immigration authorities."

Upon arrival in the Philippines, the passengers shall likewise "be covered with existing testing and quarantine protocols.

Roque did not give the list of countries, jurisdiction or territories placed under the red and yellow list. Robina Asido/DMS