Philippines eases quarantine, test rules for fully vaccinated inbound travelers

MANILA - The Philippines has shortened the pandemic quarantine period from 14 days to 7 days for all fully vaccinated inbound travelers who received the COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday.

In a statement, Roque said these travelers entering the Philippines are no longer required to undergo COVID-19 RT-PCR or swab test upon arrival. RT-PCR test shall only be done when the individual manifests COVID-19 symptoms within the seven-day quarantine.

Roque said the inter-agency coronavirus task force approved the new guidelines on Thursday.

"An individual shall be considered as having been fully vaccinated two or more weeks after receiving the second dose in a two-dose series, or two or more weeks after receiving a single-dose vaccine," Roque explained.

He said that a fully vaccinated individual must carry the vaccination card verified before departure.

After completing the seven-day facility-based quarantine, Roque said the quarantine bureau shall issue a quarantine certificate indicating the individual's vaccination status.

Roque reiterated that the Southeast Asian country's borders are still close to foreign tourists. The Philippines only allows foreign nationals with valid and existing visas to enter the country.

The Philippines previously required all arriving travelers to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival and a swab test on the seventh day within the stay in a quarantine facility.