The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that they will be implementing the most recent directive from the government, on the new country risk classification lists starting November 16 until November 30.
In an advisory, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said that in compliance to the latest Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID), Faroe Islands and The Netherlands are placed in the country’s red list.
Those in the red list, or have been there in the last 14 days prior to arrival, are barred from entering the Philippines.
Filipinos coming from the two countries may be allowed entry as assisted by government or non-government-initiated repatriation flights or bayanihan flights.
According to the IATF-MEID, 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, Guinea-Bissau, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), 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.
Aliens from Faroe Islands and The Netherlands temporarily banned starting Nov 16 until Nov 30
All other countries, territories, and jurisdictions not included in the Green and Red lists are under the Yellow List.
Morente reiterated that the general travel restrictions remain in effect, and tourists are not yet allowed to enter. “Following IATF-MEID resolutions, currently, only Filipinos, balikbayans, and foreigners with valid and existing visas that would be coming from countries under the green or yellow list may be allowed to enter the Philippines,” said Morente.
If part of allowable classes, those coming from Green or Yellow countries may be allowed to enter, subject to applicable quarantine and testing protocols as implemented by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).
Last week, the Philippines has recorded a 4.3 positivity rate, according to the Department of Health.
Based on World Health Organization guidelines, if a country can maintain its positivity rate below 5 percent for two weeks, the pandemic in the area can be said to be “under control.”
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