PH includes travelers from Canada in entry ban

A man pushes a baggage cart wearing a mandatory face mask at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 23, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo

Canadians will not be able to travel to the Philippines from Dec. 30 to Jan. 15, 2021, after the Philippine government included Canada on a list 19 countries whose travelers will be banned from entry during that period as part of pandemic restrictions.

Manila had suspended flights from the U.K. on Dec. 23 after the new variant of COVID-19 was detected, and then expanded the ban to other countries until Jan. 15.

Travelers from the following countries are prohibited from entering the Philippines:

Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Lebanon, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Spain.

Any foreign travelers who have transited through these jurisdictions within the last 14 days will also not be granted entry into the Philippines.

Passengers who are in transit to arrive in the Philippines from these countries, including Filipino citizens, will be required to “undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result,” according to a government memorandum.

The Philippines has reported more than 470,000 COVID-19 cases to date and 9,124 deaths.