Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 17)— The government should “find ways” to verify inbound travelers’ vaccination status instead of shortening the COVID-19 quarantine period, an expert recommended on Thursday.
“I know that there’s a debate in our country about shortening the quarantine,” OCTA Research fellow and molecular biologist Fr. Nicanor Austriaco said in a Palace briefing. “Let us follow the science. Instead of shortening the 10-day quarantine, we should seek ways to verify the vaccine status for returning Filipinos.”
Austriaco said he supports the implementation of a strict 10-day quarantine period for arriving passengers in both Metro Manila and Cebu, arguing that the policy will help prevent the entry of the more transmissible coronavirus variants.
“Why? Because the science shows that this quarantine is 99.7% effective at preventing variants from entering a country,” he added.
Under the Inter-Agency Task Force’s rules, travelers are mandated to adhere to a 14-day quarantine upon arrival — the first 10 days to be observed in a government-approved quarantine facility, while the remaining four days can be completed in their respective hometowns.
Passengers would also have to wait until the seventh day of quarantine before getting tested.
