Filipinos in Hong Kong are glad to learn that they can now return to their homeland without being placed in a quarantine facility. They can now enjoy traveling without being subjected into quarantine.
In line with this, they just have to monitor themselves for 14 days after their arrival. Hong Kong and China are among the countries that the Philippines considers low-risk. This means they can avoid getting blacklisted by the US.
Filipino Community in HK Throws Support of PH’s Decision to Lift Quarantine Rules
For the first time, foreigners and Filipinos are required to obtain a certificate of immunity from the coronavirus before they can enter the country, the Sun HK reported.
The new rule, which went into force on Thursday (October 14), applies to both Filipinos and foreigners. The Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid-19 had approved it the day before, following a considerable decline in the number of new coronavirus cases in the country.
The number of cases recorded has dropped to slightly over 7,000, down from a peak of over 26,000 on September 11.
Due to the government’s decision to relax the restrictions following the terrorist attack on the US, many establishments that offer entertainment and leisure activities were allowed to reopen their doors.
A handful of Filipino migrant workers who are preparing to return home for a holiday were among those who were overjoyed by the news.
In a message to The SUN, Elaine Rosal said she was going on vacation next month and wanted to know if there were any free Covid-19 testing available in Hong Kong.
Only those who have been covered by a mandatory testing notice are eligible for free Swab tests. These tests are usually carried out at community testing centers in the city.
Many Filipinos who came back to the Philippines after being quarantined due to the Ebola outbreak were pleased with the news. However, they still had to stay in a hotel for over 21 days when they return to Hong Kong.
Now, travelers arriving from green countries can enter the Philippines without having to stay in a hotel quarantine for seven days.
For travelers with fully vaccinated children, the new rule allows them to choose between having a valid RT-PCR test or staying in a quarantine facility once they arrive in the Philippines.
All travelers are required to complete their quarantine conditions until their negative RT-PCR test results are released. This includes those who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and those who fail to present their test results.
Those who are staying in hotels for at least six days are required to secure their reservations.
Children who are unvaccinated or just partially vaccinated must follow the quarantine regulations of the country from which they are traveling. In the quarantine facility, they must be accompanied by a guardian.
The Philippines has designated the following countries as green till October 31:
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Bhutan
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Cayman Islands
- Chad
- China (Mainland)
- Comoros
- Cook Islands
- Eritrea
- Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Gibraltar
- Hong Kong SAR
- Kiribati
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Montserrat
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Niue
- North Korea
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Palau
- Poland
- Republic of the Congo
- Saba (Special Municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
- Saint Helena
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Samoa
- Sierra Leone
- Sint Eustatius
- Solomon Islands
- Sudan
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Yemen
All individuals arriving from countries on the red list or the yellow list must stay in a quarantine facility.
Upon reaching the yellow countries, fully vaccinated individuals must complete their quarantine before they can be released. They will be kept inside their homes until the 10th day.
All foreigners who have been on red list countries within 14 days before they enter the Philippines are not allowed in.
Individuals who enter a red country through an international airport will not be considered to have come from that country if they stayed in the facility for a long time.
On arrival in the Philippines, these passengers will still have to follow the country’s testing protocols.
Upon arrival, all Filipinos who are from countries on the red list will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine. The first 10 days will be spent in a facility-based quarantine while the remainder will be carried out at home.
In addition to these protocols, all international travelers entering the Philippines are required to register their details on the One Health Pass website (https://onehealthpass.com.ph/) before they enter the country.
The One Health Pass will be used by the Department of Transportation to process the quarantine requirements of international passengers arriving in the Philippines.
One Health Pass is a travel document that can help travelers get all the information they need about the Philippines.
In line with this, before they enter the Philippines, foreign visitors must register at the One Health Pass online platform to avoid getting quarantined at the Bureau of Quarantine.
All foreigners and OFWs going to the Philippines must use the One Health Pass to avoid getting delayed at the airport.
To get the code, the passenger should complete the One Health Pass Declaration Form. This form will ask for the details of the individual’s health history, including his or her current medical condition.
The registration procedure is as follows:
Step 1: To be completed on or before the departure date at any time:
- Register through One Health Pass’ website and completely fill out the required fields. After doing so, please save a copy of the transaction number that will be needed at the airport to complete the registration.
Step 2: Prior to boarding the aircraft to the Philippines, the following tasks must be completed at the airport:
- Before boarding a plane, enter the flight’s unique transaction number through this website (https://www.onehealthpass.com.ph/e-HDC) to obtain the traveler’s record. A unique QR code will be provided to show before boarding and at arrival.
The Bureau of Quarantine collects and processes all information supplied in the One Health Pass.
PAL has no authority over the One Health Pass website, which is independent of PAL.
READ NEXT: Fully Vaccinated OFWs Can Soon Travel for Work to Hong Kong – DOLE