Travelers from Indonesia are banned from entering the Philippines from July 16 to the end of the month to prevent the spread and community transmission of more infectious COVID-19 variants.
The Philippines will also be exporting excess oxygen supply to Indonesia as fresh COVID-19 cases reached 54,000 in 24 hours yesterday, a surge attributed to the highly contagious Delta variant. “Oxygen supply is acutely lacking and very expensive in Indonesia,” said Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Leehiong Wee after meeting with Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez for the plan to export life-saving oxygen.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the inclusion of Indonesia in the list of countries in the travel ban, which covers India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates and Oman. Restrictions that were to expire July 15 have been extended to July 31.
The ban includes people traveling from Indonesia or those who have been in that country within the last 14 days preceding their arrival in the Philippines.
Passengers already in transit from Indonesia within 14 days immediately preceding arrival to the Philippines, who arrive before July 16 may still be allowed to enter the country.
However, these passengers will be required to undergo a full 14-day facility quarantine even after getting a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) result.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) recommended a travel ban from Indonesia, which is battling a worsening surge in COVID-19 infections.
Reports said Indonesia has recorded 47,899 new infections as of Tuesday, bringing its total number of infections to 2.6 million.
It also reported 864 new deaths, pushing its COVID-19 death toll to over 68,000.
The Philippines has so far reported a total of 19 cases of the Delta variant, which was first detected in India.
The Delta coronavirus variant is found to be 60 percent more infectious than the Alpha variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, and apparently behind the surge in cases in other countries.
Duterte earlier expressed concern over the emergence of new COVID-19 strains like the Delta and Lambda variants and said the government is closely monitoring the country’s borders to prevent their entry.
The government is set to announce new quarantine classifications for different parts of the country that will be in effect from July 16 to July 31. The Department of Health has ruled out having the classifications for longer periods because of the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Philippines logged 3,806 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,485,457.
There were 140 new fatalities, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 26,232.
The DOH also said 6,296 persons recently recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,414,817.
There were 44,408 active cases, of which 90 percent were mild, 3.5 percent were asymptomatic, 1.7 percent were critical, 2.8 percent were severe, and 1.95 percent were moderate.
Nationwide, 57 percent of ICU beds, 46 percent of isolation beds, 42 percent of ward beds, and 37 percent of ventilators, were in use.
In Metro Manila, 43 percent of ICU beds, 38 percent of isolation beds, 33 percent of ward beds, and 36 percent of ventilators, were in use.
Also on Wednesday, the Commission on Human Rights backed the IATF decision to allow children five years old and above to visit outdoor areas.
“Children have the right to leisure, play, and recreational activities. This is crucial to their development and well-being while also enabling their participation in the community’s cultural, social, and artistic life,” commission spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said.
“During the course of the pandemic, there have been widespread reports on the mental toll and behavioral changes in children due to quarantine restrictions, economic loss for many families, and disruption of services. Limited social interaction, remote learning, and the closing of recreational facilities have also limited the ability of children to spend time outdoors and maintain healthy well-being,” she said in a statement.
She said it is better to allow the young people to safely go outdoors so they could engage in social interaction, instead of just being glued to their digital devices.
“Outdoor activities will also revive their physical and mental vitality by being more engaged in the cultural and social life. More importantly, the outdoor ambiance, opportunity to access diverse recreational and leisure activities, and quality social engagement, can help maintain their well-being and mental health. Considering that face-to-face classes are still not allowed, outdoor activities can also help provide balance to the children’s confined remote learning routine,” she added.