MANILA – Malacañang declared on Friday that starting July 25, travelers from Thailand and Malaysia will be banned from entering the Philippines due to the Delta variant threat.
“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved the travel restrictions for all travelers coming from Malaysia and Thailand or those with travel history to Malaysia and Thailand within the last 14 days preceding arrival in the Philippines,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press release.
Travelers from Thailand and Malaysia will be subject to a travel ban from July 25 to July 31, according to Roque.
Travelers in transit from the two countries within 14 days of their arrival, as well as those arriving before July 25, may be allowed to enter the country, he said.
Even after getting a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, they must still complete a 14-day facility quarantine.
“This action is undertaken to prevent the further spread and community transmission of Covid-19 variants in the Philippines,” Roque said.
Countries already subject to the travel restriction are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, and Oman.
The travel restrictions do not apply to Filipinos participating in repatriation operations or special commercial flights, he said.
“But they have to follow the prescribed testing and quarantine protocols,” he added.
The Philippines reported 12 new Delta Covid-19 variant cases on Thursday, raising the total number of cases of the more infectious coronavirus to 47.
The Delta variant is causing new outbreaks in the Asia-Pacific area, including Southeast Asia.
As of July 22, Malaysia and Thailand are seeing surges in their cases due to the Delta variant, with each country reporting over 13,000 cases.
The Delta coronavirus variant, which was initially discovered in India, has been found to be 60% more infectious than the Alpha form, and is thought to be the cause of the recent increase in cases in other countries.
Health experts have noted that a person who contracts the Delta variant can infect five to eight people.
Duterte urged stricter health precautions on Monday in anticipation of the country’s potential local transmission of the “more aggressive and lethal” Covid-19 Delta variant.
