The Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) has reminded its personnel to intensify the quarantine protocols for all inbound passengers amid the escalating COVID-19 cases in China.
Under Memorandum No. 99 dated Dec. 29 but released to the public on Saturday, BOQ director Ferdinand Salcedo ordered heightened surveillance of respiratory symptoms of all travelers and a thorough review of their Maritime Declaration of Health and Aircraft General Declaration.
All intercepted symptomatic passengers during arrival screening and COVID-19-positive travelers from points of entry shall be reported, Salcedo said.
He also directed personnel to disseminate information about COVID-19 infection prevention and control among travelers.
The BOQ director said personnel must “coordinate with airport and seaport terminate authorities for possible re-establishment of testing of inbound travelers from high-alert countries.”
Likewise, he instructed the coordination of BOQ to “port and airport authorities and partners on identifying areas for display of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials.”
According to reports, China has 5,000 COVID-19 cases in a day. The surge is driven by the Omicron BF.7 subvariant.
