IATF releases list of 'green' countries with low COVID risk for shorter quarantine time
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Wednesday released the official list of over 50 “green” countries or areas considered "low-risk" for COVID-19 infection.
Fully vaccinated individuals coming from these countries will have a shorter quarantine period upon arrival in the Philippines from the previous 10 days to seven days.
These "green countries" are the following:
- Albania
- American Samoa
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Benin
- Belize
- The British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cayman Islands
- Chad
- China
- Côte d’ Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
- Eswatini
- Falkland Islands
- French Polynesia
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Hong Kong
- Iceland
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Laos
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Micronesia
- Montserrat
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Palau
- Rwanda
- Saba
- Saint Barthelemy
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Sierra Leone
- Senegal
- Singapore
- Sint Eustatius
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Togo
- Turks and Caicos Islands (UK)
- Vietnam
- Zimbabwe
"[Overseas Filipino Workers] who can present International Certificates of Vaccination may already avail of the green lanes beginning July 1, 2021, provided they comply with other requirements," the IATF said in its statement.
Of all the jurisdictions, Ivory Coast and Micronesia remained as the top “green” countries with only one COVID-19 case.
An individual is considered fully vaccinated at least two weeks after receiving a single dose vaccine or the second dose of a two-dose vaccine. The vaccine must be covered by an emergency use authorization or compassionate special permit in the Philippines or by an emergency use listing from the World Health Organization.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said today, July 1, the country may eventually remove the quarantine requirement for international travelers and just require a swab test.
“There is always a possibility, pero sa ngayon po from what I know wala pa ring bansa na hahayaang pumasok ang kahit sino na wala pa pong quarantine lalo na po dahil meron tayong Delta variant,” he said.
“Confident pa rin po tayo for a better Christmas. We’ve exceeded the 10 million mark for vaccination. We have managed the COVID cases in Metro Manila plus 8 and there are more areas now under MECQ and we’re confident that with more supplies of the vaccine coming in, maraming mabibigyan ng proteksyon,” he added.
The government has administered more than 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses so far since its inoculation program began.
According to the Department of Health, a total of 10,065,414 doses have already been administered. Of the total, 7,538,128 have received their first doses while 2,527,286 have already completed the required two doses.
(Banner and thumbnail photo from Pixabay/Skitterphoto)