Philippines extends travel ban on UAE and Oman arrivals

The measure aims to stem the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant

The Philippines has extended restrictions on travellers arriving from 10 countries in a bid to minimise the spread of Covid-19.

Travellers that have departed from or visited the following countries in the past 14 days before arrival will not be permitted to enter the Philippines until 15 August 2021: the UAE, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Clarifying the reason behind the decision, Philippines presidential spokesman Harry Roque said: “This is a proactive measure amid the implementation of international border control because of the Covid-19 Delta variant.”

An Emirates airline spokesperson confirmed that restrictions will remain in effect until Sunday 15 August: “Passengers whose journey originates from the UAE, including Filipino nationals, will not be accepted for travel to all points in the Philippines. During this time, flights will continue to operate as scheduled but only passengers transiting via Dubai and those returning to the Philippines under the government repatriation programme will be allowed to travel.”

FOR MORE NEWS YOU CAN USE, SIGN UP FOR CONNECTING TRAVEL’S WEEKLY BULLETIN

Commercial passenger flights from the Philippines to Dubai, operated by Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific will remain suspended until the end of August. A statement from Cebu Pacific said: “Cebu Pacific has cancelled its flights to and from Dubai from 1 to 31 August 2021, to ensure that its operations restart smoothly and safely. This schedule realignment is geared toward avoiding any last-minute changes that could cause inconvenience to our passengers.”

Inbound travellers from the other GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) can enter the country provided that they have pre-booked an accredited quarantine facility or hotel for at least 10 days at their own expense. They will be PCR-tested on arrival and must take an RT-PCR test on the seventh day of quarantine.