AT least eight territories will be banned in the Philippines in a bid to keep out Omicron COVID-19 variant, Malacañang said on Wednesday.
Effective Dec. 16 to 31, travelers from the following “high-risk” areas that are part of the so-called “Red List” will be banned from entering the Philippines, said Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.
Andorra
France
Monaco
Northern Mariana Islands
Reunion
San Marino
South Africa
Switzerland
In a press briefing, Nograles said the restriction covers everyone who has been to these 8 areas in the last 14 days, regardless of their vaccination status. Only Filipinos returning through repatriation efforts and “Bayanihan” flights are exempted from the travel ban, added Nograles.
“To all those who plan to come home during the holidays, we humbly request your patience as we in the IATF continue to make modifications to our protocols. These are all being done in response to evolving situations in the world,” said the official.
“We want to keep our people safe, and we will do what is necessary to achieve that,” he added.
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