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Posts tagged as “Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases”

Philippines launches eTravel platform to replace One Health Pass

The Philippine government just launched the eTravel platform that will as an online Health Declaration and Contact Tracing platform that aims to promote a convenient and seamless movement of international travelers from departure from the country of origin to arrival at the Local Government Unit (LGU) of destination. The service is for all foreign and Filipino international travelers, including infants and children.

The eTravel service started last December 2, the Health Declaration Checklist of the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine may be accessed through etravel.gov.ph and anyone accessing the One Health Pass will be redirected to the new eTravel domain. On December 5, the One Health Pass website no longer be accessible by the public.

Using and eTravel platform registration is free and does not collect or require any form of online payment.

Here’s the announcement from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF – EID);

Pursuant to the Philippine Government’s efforts to streamline its entry procedures and data collection processes, we inform you of the launch of the eTravel platform, an online registration system for travelers to the Philippines and returning residents.

Beginning 0001H of 02 December 2022, the Health Declaration Checklist of the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine may be accessed through etravel.gov.ph.

Passengers using the former www.onehealthpass.com.ph will be redirected to the new eTravel domain. On December 5, the old domain of the One Health Pass will no longer be accessible to the public.

The eTravel platform will host the electronic version of the paper Arrival Card that travelers must submit upon arrival in the Philippines for immigration clearance. Starting 05 December 2022, the Bureau of Immigration will discontinue using the paper Arrival Card. All travelers will be required to provide their arrival information and health declaration through the eTravel portal.

Registration on the eTravel platform is free. The public is warned against transacting with any entities or websites soliciting payments and fees of any kind as these are in no way related to the official eTravel platform of the Philippine Government.

The eTravel platform is a joint initiative of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in partnership with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Use of Face shield is now voluntary in Angeles City

Use of face shield is now voluntary for Angeles City residents, after being under Alert Level 2. This was stated in the Memorandum no. 1524 (series 2021) that was release by Office of the City Mayor of Angeles City.

The memo states that Angeles City was placed under Alert Level 2 by the IATF last November 13, 2021 and that the use of face shield as stated in IATF Resolution-148D, will be voluntary.

The LGU of Angeles City still encourages the use of face shield when indoors like in high-risk areas like clinics and hospitals. Even though private establishments are given the discretion on the use of faceshield, staffs of food establishments are also encourage to use face shield.

The new memorandum regarding face shield took effect November 16th and will in effect until Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) release a new list of Alert Level classification by the end of the month.

Faceshield no longer required for areas under Alert Levels 1 – 3

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea just released the memorandum (resolution no. 148-D) that the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) have been approved by the President to lift the mandatory use of faceshield for areas under Alert Levels 1 – 3.

The memo (image below) also states that those localities under Alert Levels 4, local gornment units (LGU) and private establishments are given the discretion to use or not to use facehshield.

For areas under Alert Levels 5, granular lockdown, hospitals and quarantine facilities, the use of faceshield is strictly enforced and mandatory.

To know more what Alert Levels is your area under, you can go here.

Faceshield have been the center of controversy and the topic of the current senate inquiry. For more about the Faceshield controversy, you can read the Rappler’s comprehensive report – Tale of pandemic face shields: Costly, overstocked, unauthorized gov’t buys.

Saudi Arabia and 43 countries that are now on Philippines ‘Greenlist’

Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) just release the new Resolution No. 148A, that list down the countries that are considered as “Green,” “Yellow,” and “Red.”

Travelers that are coming from countries in the “Green-list” means that all travelers that are fully vaccinated can enter the Philippines without the need to undergo facility-based quarantine. They just need to present a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours before their departure from the country of origin. Travelers are are also instructed to monitor (and report) any covid-19 related symptoms in the next 14 days.

For fully vaccinated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and non-OFWs that did take the RT-PCR test before their flight, will have the option to take the RT-PCR test upon arrival with the caveat of being quarantined in a facility until a negative results come out.

For the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and non-OFWs, they need to undergo facility-based quarantine and will take the swab test on the fifth day and will be released once they get a negative result. Foreign nationals need to arrange their own hotel reservations for six days quarantine.

Countries that are in the “Green-list” are as follows;

American Samoa Kuwait Saint Barthelemy
Bhutan Kyrgyzstan Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Chad Malawi Saudi Arabia
Mainland China Mali Senegal
Comoros Marshall Islands Sierra Leone
Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Montserrat Sint Eustatius
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Morocco South Africa
Federated States of Micronesia Namibia Sudan
Guinea Niger Taiwan
Guinea-Bissau Northern Mariana Islands Togo
Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China) Oman Uganda
India Pakistan United Arab Emirates
Indonesia Palau Zambia
Japan Paraguay Zimbabwe
Kosovo Rwanda

Travelers from or have been to “Red-listed” countries 14 days before arrival are not allowed to enter the Philippines regardless of vaccination status. However, Filipinos nationals are exempted if they arrive via government and non-government-initiated repatriation, as well as those from Bayanihan Flights.

Upon arrival in the country, they are required to undergo facility-based quarantine for 10 days then must have a negative RT-PCR test on the seventh day, they must complete the 14-day quarantine period and will be under strict symptom-monitoring by the Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ).

For transit travelers, they will not be considered a traveler from that (red-listed) country, since they did not leave the airport or having been cleared for entry by immigration authorities. Transit travellers are still be required to follow the protocols prescribed under their vaccination status.

Faroe Islands and The Netherlands are the only countries on the red list.

As for fully-vaccinated travelers coming from countries in the “Yellow-list” they need to undergo facility-based quarantine and will take the swab test on the fifth day and will be released once they get a negative result. Then home-quarantine for 10 more days. Foreign nationals need to arrange their own hotel reservations for six days quarantine.

For travelers who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or those who do not have a verifiable vaccination status, they need to undergo facility-based quarantine and will take the swab test on the seventh day and will be released once they get a negative result. Then home-quarantine for 7 more days. Foreign nationals need to arrange their own hotel reservations for 8days quarantine.

IATF said “All other countries/territories/jurisdictions not otherwise listed” under the “Green” or “Red” list are “Yellow-listed”.

The new classification of “Green,” “Yellow,” and “Red” shall be effective from November 16, 2021 until November 30, 2021.

You can click on the link to read the full text of IATF-EID RESOLUTION NO. 148-A.

DOTr to increase seating capacity of Jeepneys to 70% and will no longer require the plastic barrier

In a facebook post, Department of Transportation (DOTr) is set to increase the seating capacity of road-based and rail transportation by 70% on November 4, 2021, and the plastic barrier will no longer be require in PUJs.

Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved DOTr’s proposal to increase the seating capacity of jeepneys and rail transport last Oct. 28th. The proposal was made after quarantine status in the NCR was downgraded from Alert Level 4 to a more relaxed Alert Level 3 last October 16 until October 31.

Here is DOTr’s announcement;

UP Diliman Executive Committee opposes the nomination of Atty. Harry Roque for a seat in the International Law Commission (ILC)

It looks like it’s not just regular people who do not want Spox. Harry Roque to be at the seat of International Law Commission (ILC) even his former employer, University of the Philippines, is against his nomination.

UP Diliman Executive Committee just released a statement opposing the nomination of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque to be one of the 34 members of the International Law Commission (ILC), a UN body responsible for helping develop and codify international law.

In their statement, they state that “they oppose the nomination” of Atty. Harry Roque, a former UP Faculty member to the International Law Commission.

Committee added that “Atty. Harry Roque, has a very poor track record of promoting, defending and fulfilling human rights and the rule of law, especially during the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.” They ended their statement saying “his inclusion in the Commission would not serve its purposes but instead diminish the reputation of the body.

I embedded the official statement released by UP below;

The statement was release after Spoks. Harry Roque drew flak for berating a group of doctors during the online IATF meeting last Tuesday.

IATF approves new quarantine classifications on Sept 8th to 30th

Announced during the Palace briefing with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, IATF approves new quarantine classifications on Sept 8th to 30th, which includes National Capital Region (NCR) to switch to a pilot area for implementing localized lock-downs.

The new quarantine classifications was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

These are new quarantine classifications;

MECQ

  • Apayao
  • Bataan
  • Bulacan
  • Cavite
  • Lucena City
  • Rizal
  • Laguna
  • Iloilo Province
  • Iloilo City
  • Cagayan De Oro City

GCQ

* with heighten restrictions

  • Ilocos Sur
  • Ilocos Norte
  • Cagayan
  • Pangasinan
  • Quezon
  • Batangas
  • Naga City
  • Antique
  • Bacolod City
  • Capiz
  • Cebu Province
  • Lapu-Lapu City
  • Negros Oriental
  • Zamboanga Del Sur
  • Misamis Oriental
  • Davao City
  • Davao Del Norte
  • Davao De Oro
  • Davao Occidental
  • Butuan City

GCQ

  • National Capital Region*
  • Baguio City
  • Kalinga
  • Abra
  • Benguet
  • Dagupan City
  • City of Santiago
  • Quirino
  • Isabela
  • Nueva Vizcaya
  • Tarlac
  • Occidental Mindoro
  • Puerto Princesa
  • Aklan
  • Guimaras
  • Negros Occidental
  • Cebu City
  • Mandaue City
  • Zamboanga
  • Sibugay
  • Zamboanga City
  • Zamboanga Del Norte
  • Misamis Occidental
  • Iligan City
  • Davao Oriental
  • Davao Del Sur
  • Gen. Santos City
  • Sultan Kudarat
  • Sarangani
  • North Cotobato
  • Agusan Del Norte
  • Agusan Del Sur
  • Dinagat Islands
  • Surigao Del Norte
  • Surigao Del Sur
  • Cotobato City
  • Lano Del Sur

MECQ

Rest of the Philippines

PBA to resume Philippine Cup games on Tuesday, November 3, 2020

After receiving the new protocols by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), PBA announce that games will resume Philippine Cup on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Teams can resume practices tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 1, and will release a revised schedule of games.

Here are the recommendations from the IATF:

  • Completion of 10-day isolation of Blackwater player from the date of swabbing before resuming the games.
  • Completion of 14-day quarantine and testing before entering the bubble for all those who will test positive moving forward; and
  • The appointment of an independent marshall, who shall oversee and ensure compliance with health and safety protocols, as recommended by the DILG.

The league will also have a separate temporary quarantine facility within the Clark Freeport Zone, as an additional safety measure and in coordination with the Clark Development Corporation (CDC).

Watch the meeting of President Duterte and IATF-EID on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (5/25/2020).

If you missed the live broadcast, then you can rewatch the meeting between President Duterte and IATF-EID, as they talked about the next course of action on how to tackle the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to his ‘kababayans’ after presiding over the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) meeting where they discussed the latest updates on the government’s efforts and programs being implemented to mitigate the effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The President addresses various concerns and issues as the country continues to battle the COVID-19, with the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila and other cities still placed under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) until May 31, 2020.

He calls on every Filipino to brace for the ‘new normal’ that would provide for more relaxed quarantine protocols while reviving local and national economies. He also urges the people for their full cooperation in following the minimum health standards such as frequent hand washing, wearing of face masks and observing social distancing measures to help flatten the curve. He asks for every Filipino to uphold the bayanihan spirit and resiliency as the country continues to battle the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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