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Philippines extends travel curbs until month-end over new COVID-19 variant

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Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/01/15/20210114-health-coronavirus-philippines.jpg"/><figcaption>Passengers wearing face masks and face shields for protection against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) queue at a counter in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Parañaque on Jan. 14, 2021. <em>Eloisa Lopez, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The Philippines has extended until the end of the month a ban on travelers from 32 countries earlier included in the restriction to halt the spread of a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant, Malacañang said on Friday.</p><p>The curbs were supposed to end on Jan. 15. The inter-agency task force leading the country&#x27;s pandemic response &quot;approved the recommendation to extend until January 31, 2021 the entry travel restrictions and the rules applicable to all travelers coming from or transiting through the following countries/jurisdictions,&quot; said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/13/21/ph-detects-new-covid-variant-doh">UK COVID-19 variant now in the Philippines, says DOH</a></li></ul><p>The extension covers the following countries: </p><ul>	<li>Australia</li>	<li>Austria</li>	<li>Brazil</li>	<li>Canada</li>	<li>China (including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region)</li>	<li>Denmark</li>	<li>Finland</li>	<li>France</li>	<li>Germany</li>	<li>Iceland</li>	<li>India</li>	<li>Ireland</li>	<li>Israel</li>	<li>Italy</li>	<li>Jamaica</li>	<li>Japan</li>	<li>Jordan</li>	<li>Lebanon</li>	<li>Luxembourg</li>	<li>The Netherlands</li>	<li>Norway</li>	<li>Oman</li>	<li>Pakistan</li>	<li>Portugal</li>	<li>Singapore</li>	<li>South Africa</li>	<li>South Korea</li>	<li>Spain</li>	<li>Sweden</li>	<li>Switzerland</li>	<li>United Kingdom</li>	<li>United States</li></ul><p>Filipinos from these areas may still enter the Philippines, said Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Rachel Queenie Dizon-Rodulfo.</p><p>The extension of the travel curbs follows the confirmation of the first case of the new variant in the country in a Filipino who had returned from Dubai. <br/> <br/>Roque earlier said the United Arab Emirates would likely be included in the travel ban but there was still no such announcement on Friday.</p><p>&quot;[The] President will be the one to declare that, if ever. [The] list is for extension of restrictions and not for new [areas],&quot; Roque said in a statement.</p><p>Contract-tracing efforts will be expanded &quot;to third-generation contacts for known new variant cases,&quot; Roque said. </p><p>&quot;All identified close contacts are required to undergo a strict facility-based 14-day quarantine while remaining contacts from the flight manifest shall be advised of the appropriate quarantine protocols,&quot; he said in a statement.</p><p>&quot;Those who are found to be positive, apart from the prescribed testing and quarantine protocols, shall undergo whole genome sequencing,&quot; the official added.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C6SbqYrTUro?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>The Philippines has extended until the end of the month a ban on travelers from 32 countries earlier included in the restriction to halt the spread of a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant, Malacañang said on Friday.</p>

The Philippines has extended until the end of the month a ban on travelers from 32 countries earlier included in the restriction to halt the spread of a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant, Malacañang said on Friday.

Philippines extends travel curbs until month-end over new COVID-19 variant

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Philippines extends travel curbs until month-end over new COVID-19 variant

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 15, 2021 11:21 AM PHT

|

Updated January 15, 2021 12:49 PM PHT

Read More:

COVID variant

travel ban

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