Skipping quarantine protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) upon arrival in the country is punishable by law, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.
The agency’s statement came in response to reports of some travelers from abroad allegedly skipping quarantine protocols which is part of the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) guidelines and policies.
Below are the current testing and quarantine protocols for international travelers:
Image from DOH
The DOH noted that non-adherence to these rules is a violation of the Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act of 2018.
The agency also emphasized that it, together with the Bureau of Quarantine, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of Transportation, and the Philippine National Police, shall ensure that violators shall be dealt with in accordance with the law.
“We remind everyone to exert utmost care in participating gatherings and/or organizing gatherings particularly when it will involve individuals who have recent travel or exposure history,” it said.
Since keeping cases low and hospital admissions manageable is a whole-of-society effort, the DOH encouraged the public to report individuals, establishments, or local government units violating quarantine protocols to local authorities to ensure its proper implementation and prevent further transmission of Covid-19.
