The Philippines will begin banning travelers who were recently in the U.S. on Sunday after a third state confirmed a COVID-19 case with the new strain, which experts say is more contagious.
Philippine spokesman Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said foreigners who had been in the U.S. for the past 14 days would be denied entry to the country, according to a statement obtained by Reuters.
The travel ban, which contributed to other restrictions announced Tuesday for 19 countries and territories, is expected to last until January 15. Travelers from the US who arrive before January 3 can enter the country if they are in quarantine for 14 days. .
The Philippines has decided to add the US to the list after the country’s Department of Health and Foreign Affairs proposed, Roque told Reuters.
Filipinos returning from the US will not only enter the country but will also have to do a 14-day quarantine in a government facility.
The new strain of the virus, called B.1.1.7, was first located in the United Kingdom, but has since spread to several other countries, including the US.
Florida become the third state to confirm a case with the new variant with Colorado and California on New Year’s Eve previously announced incidents earlier this week.
Health experts said they believe the vaccines Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are effective against the variant, but more trials are needed to confirm this.
According to Johns Hopkins University data, the tribe has not yet moved to the Philippines, which has recorded more than 475,000 COVID-19 cases and 9,248 deaths.