The Department of Health (DOH) will soon relax the quarantine restrictions for travelers entering the country who are positive for COVID-19 once the country's state of public health emergency has been lifted.
In an interview, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said they are mulling COVID-positive travelers to instead undergo home isolation. However, he noted that they are still studying the rcommendation given that COVID-19 is still present.
"Pag-aaralan ko ‘yan at under naman sa’kin ang Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), baka papayag ako sa home isolation na lang," he said.
"If you're positive, talagang dapat ka mag-isolate, lalo na kung galing ka sa ibang bansa, kasi may ibang variants na nade-develop galing sa ibang bansa. Simpleng public health measure ‘yun," he continued.
Earlier in June, Herbosa said he is recommending lifting the country's COVID-19 public health emergency, noting that the disease can be treated as any other disease like influenza, cough, and cold and no longer posed an emergency.
In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that COVID-19 no longer represented a global health emergency.
The WHO first declared public health emergency of international concern over COVID-19 on Jan. 30, 2020.
And just months after, in March 2020, then President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation No. 922, which declared a state of public health emergency in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In February 2022, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases eased the travel restrictions in the Philippines, allowing the entry of foreigners for business and tourism purposes under certain conditions.
Among the requirements for foreign nationals before entering the country is full vaccination against COVID-19, except for minors below 12 years old traveling with their fully vaccinated foreign parents.
