The Philippines is expanding its travel ban to include mainland China, Malacañang said Tuesday, as the country guards against a more contagious COVID-19 variant.
Foreign travelers from Pakistan, Jamaica, Luxembourg, and Oman will also no longer be allowed entry in the Philippines starting noon of Wednesday, Jan. 13, until Friday, Jan. 15, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.
Filipinos coming from the said jurisdictions can return to the Philippines but must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine even if they test negative for COVID-19 via RT-PCR testing.
The Philippines' travel ban initially included only the United Kingdom, where the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 was first detected. The list now includes:
- Mainland China
- Pakistan
- Jamaica
- Luxembourg
- Oman
- Portugal
- India
- Finland
- Norway
- Jordan
- Brazil
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Denmark
- Ireland
- Japan
- Australia
- South Africa
- Israel
- Netherlands
- Canada
- France
- Switzerland
- Hong Kong
- Singapore
- Germany
- Iceland
- Italy
- Spain
- Lebanon
- Sweden
- South Korea
Authorities have yet to announce whether the travel ban will be extended or lifted after Jan. 15.