MANILA, Philippines — A senator is urging the country to implement "proactive policies" for tourists traveling from China as COVID-19 cases there increased right after it abruptly laxed mobility restrictions.
Sen. Grace Poe — chair of the committees on public services and on economic affairs — is calling on the government to "decide definitively" on possibly requiring travelers from China to take COVID-19 tests before coming to the Philippines. While the Department of Health has increased its COVID-19 monitoring for inbound travelers, testing is not yet mandatory.
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"The lack of proactive policies on the matter is concerning amid the rapidly developing situation overseas," Poe said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Our experience in the past three years of the pandemic has shown that delayed and uninformed COVID-19 related policies are sometimes more deadline than the pandemic itself.
In 2020, the Philippines was also hesitant to impose specific travel restrictions against tourists or anyone traveling from China, where the pandemic first broke.
This year, a number of countries have already implemented policies, such as mandatory COVID-19 testing, for travelers from China in Australia, France, Canada, Japan, and the United States.
Beijing's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has cried foul at the restrictions and said these policies "[lack] scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable" since some restrictions are only imposed on Chinese travelers.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has said the country should look for ways to not completely close borders on China as long as it is "manageable." This may mean having to implement a procedure for testing for those who have been exposed to the virus.
The DOH on Sunday ordered increased surveillance on travelers from China.