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Travelers from Guam, 8 others barred from Philippine entry
Travelers from nine countries, including Guam, are being temporarily barred from entering the Philippines starting yesterday, Sept. 12.
The Philippine Bureau of Immigration announced Saturday the temporary ban on the entry of passengers coming from nine countries: Azerbaijan, Guadeloupe, Guam, Israel, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Saint Lucia, and Switzerland.
The travel ban is in effect for seven days, or until Sept. 18, 2021.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said in an advisory that, as recommended by the country’s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, passengers coming from, or who have been in these nine countries within the last 14 days prior to their arrival to the Philippines, shall temporarily be denied entry.
The ban does not include those who are merely transiting through these countries and are only staying within the airport for a layover. Also, passengers already in transit from any of the nine countries who will arrive before the implementation of the travel ban may be allowed to enter, subject to existing policies of the Bureau of Quarantine.
Filipinos arriving from countries under the nine countries under government or nongovernment repatriation programs or bayanihan flights may be allowed entry, but shall undergo a strict 14-day facility-based quarantine and be required to take a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test that will be monitored by the BOQ.
For Filipinos in the CNMI who are going to Manila via United Airlines, they will have a layover in Guam but will still be allowed to enter Manila, based on the Bureau of Immigration order. When asked how this ban will affect United’s flights to Manila, United Corporate Communications issued the following statement: “At the moment, we don’t expect any schedule changes due to the subject Philippines government announcement.”
Editor’s Note: Story updated on Sept. 13, 2021, at 2:51pm to insert the United Airlines statement.
