Coronavirus: Philippines lifts quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers from China, dozens of other nations

Passengers from countries on the Philippines’ ‘green list’ should have a negative test result from within 72 hours of departure

Meanwhile, Australian PM Scott Morrison said the easing of Sydney’s strict entry controls will initially benefit only citizens

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A ferry makes its way across the harbour in Sydney on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:12am, 15 Oct 2021Updated: 10:18pm, 15 Oct 2021

Fully vaccinated foreign nationals from dozens of countries and jurisdictions on the Philippines’ “green list” will no longer be required to undergo facility-based quarantine, the government said, provided they have a negative test result from within 72 hours of departure.

Mainland China, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Taiwan are among those on the green list.

Meanwhile, passengers from countries on the yellow list must undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, with the first 10 days in a facility and a PCR test conducted on the seventh day.

Sydney to end quarantine for vaccinated foreign visitors

Sydney will end its Covid-19 quarantine for fully vaccinated international travellers from November 1, Australia’s most populous state said on Friday, although the easing of strict entry controls will initially benefit only citizens.

The move comes as New South Wales state is expected to reach an 80 per cent first dose vaccination rate on Saturday, well ahead of the rest of Australia, and brings forward the expected return of overseas travel by several weeks.

“We want people back, we are leading the nation out of the pandemic … we are opening Sydney and New South Wales to the world,” New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said.

Australia closed its international borders in March 2020 in response to the pandemic, allowing entry almost exclusively to only citizens and permanent residents who are required to undergo a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine at their own expense.