MANILA, Philippines — The government’s task force on COVID-19 response has approved the proposal to require incoming travelers to be tested for COVID-19 within seven days after their arrival in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.
In an online press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) approved their recommendation on Thursday.
“Kahapon ito ay naaprubahan ng IATF so pagka nagkakaroon po tayo ng resolution from IATF, specific agencies concerned has to draft the necessary protocols,” she said.
“Kailangan pong i-draft yung protocols para maisagawa po natin at maumpisahan na ang pag-i-implement,” she added.
Vergeire earlier said the recommendation was based on evidence, which showed that the viral load is still high on the seventh or eighth day and there is a high percentage that a person who might have the disease will turn positive.
The proposal also aims to accurately identify and isolate all travelers infected with the disease, and break the chain of transmission.
Under current guidelines, inbound passengers are subjected to COVID-19 testing on the fifth or sixth day of their quarantine unless they manifest symptoms at an earlier point.
Vergeire said there is no date yet for the new policy’s implementation but concerned agencies have agreed that this should be imposed “at the soonest time possible.”
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