NCR to be placed under Alert Level 3 from Oct. 16 to 31

Under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) are Apayao, Kalinga, Batanes, Bulacan, Bataan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, and Naga City for Luzon; and Zamboanga City and Zamboanga del Norte for Mindanao.

Under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions are Abra, Baguio City, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, City of Santiago, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Quezon, and Batangas for Luzon; Bacolod City, Capiz, Lapu-Lapu City, Negros Oriental, and Bohol for the Visayas; and Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Butuan City, and Surigao del Sur for Mindanao.

Also approved under GCQ are Ilocos Norte, Dagupan City, Ifugao, Benguet, Tarlac, Lucena City, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa, Marinduque, Albay, and Camarines Norte for Luzon; Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Cebu City, Cebu Province, Mandaue City, Siquijor, and Tacloban City for the Visayas; and Zamboanga Sibugay, Misamis Occidental, Iligan City, Davao City, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Cotabato City, and Lanao del Sur for Mindanao.

All other areas will be under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).

Green Lanes

The IATF also revised the rules for Green Lanes for international arriving passengers effective Oct. 14.

For fully vaccinated foreign nationals, a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to departure from country of origin is required. Upon arrival, no facility-based quarantine will be required but the passenger is enjoined to “self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day.”

Fully vaccinated Filipinos, on the other hand, can choose facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR test taken in the quarantine facility upon arrival—or no facility-based quarantine is required after getting a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin but the passenger is enjoined to self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day.

For the unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or individuals whose vaccination status cannot be independently verified, and those vaccinated but fail to comply with the test-before-travel requirements will undergo a facility-based quarantine until the release of a negative RT-PCR test taken on the 5th day.

In the case of foreign nationals, they will be required to secure hotel reservations for at least 6 days.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated minor children traveling with their fully vaccinated parent/s or guardians are required to observe the quarantine protocols corresponding to their vaccination status. A parent/guardian need to accompany the child in the quarantine facility for the full term of the latter’s facility-based quarantine period.

To validate their vaccination status, overseas Filipino workers and their spouse, parent/s, and/or children traveling in the Philippines or abroad, non-OFWs vaccinated in the country and abroad, and foreigners vaccinated in the Philippines can present either their VaxCertPH digital certificate, Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) / World Health Organization (WHO)-issued International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICV), or the national digital certificate of the foreign government where they were vaccinated. In the case of foreigners vaccinated abroad, they can present WHO-issued ICV, or the national digital certificate of the foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal agreement.

The IATF also approved and adopted the revisions of the Guidelines on the Implementation of Alert Levels System for COVID-19 Response in the Pilot Areas.