Traveling to PH, Vaccinations

[Carpe Vinum 2,314]

23 hours ago, top_secret said:

 

My wife got Dengue in May 2020, which coincided nicely with the national hysteria about people with fevers.🙄  It was nothing nice at all.  She spent a week in the hospital over that one.  Per her blood test, she had it before, probably as a child, but she doesn't remember.  That only makes Dengue worse the second time around.  Most tourists are probably more or less ok in the city.  Sleeping in a closed, airconditioned hotel.  Adventurous types running around the provinces should definitely consider some mosquito repellent.  If sleeping somewhere out in the boondocks with the windows open,.... mossy nets are very romantic.  Like a princess bed.😍

On my first trip to my wife's family home in Mindanao there was a brownout in the middle of the night. I woke up to my wife fanning me by hand  to make sure I didn't get bitten. That's when I knew I had a keeper...;-)

[suss6052 32]

On 7/27/2022 at 10:30 PM, seekingthetruth said:

All of those vaccines are just recommended vaccines.  For entering PH, you need to follow their Covid requirments.  Philippine Airlines website is a good source for that.  I think the current is fully vaccinated has quarantine, fully vaccinated + booster has no quarantine.  And you have to sign up for an online medical pass of some sort.

That is not correct unless things changed in the last two weeks, I was just in the Philippines between July 7th to July 17th, and being fully vaccinated only needed a negative COVID-19 test to avoid quarantine. There was no quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated if tested and released, and the only difference for vaccinated plus boosted involved needing a COVID-19 test or not.

 

Transiting through South Korea on both directions is easy, Korean Air does not require a negative COVID-19 test unless your destination country requires one, so going to the Philippines as a fully vaccinated passenger you will need one, but to come home as long as the USA doesn't reinstitute the testing requirements it wasn't required.

[Steve & Erma 33]

I am fully vaccinated and 1 booster. From what I am reading I do not need any testing to go to the Philippines nor to travel through South Korea. The following is what I found on

 

From --> https://www.onehealthpass.com.ph/

 

"The following international travelers bound to the Philippines are no longer required to undergo facility-based quarantine and exempted from presenting pre-departure COVID-19 negative test result (RT-PCR/Antigen Test) (as per IATF Resolution No. 168 (Effective May 30, 2022)):

1. Fully vaccinated* Foreign/Filipino nationals with Booster shot** for 18 years old and above."

 

On one health pass it shows I don't need a PCR/Anigen test to go to the Philippines. Although in other places it tells me I need one... I guess I error on the side of caution and get one?

Edited July 31, 2022 by Steve & Erma

[seekingthetruth 1,219]

3 hours ago, suss6052 said:

That is not correct unless things changed in the last two weeks, I was just in the Philippines between July 7th to July 17th, and being fully vaccinated only needed a negative COVID-19 test to avoid quarantine. There was no quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated if tested and released, and the only difference for vaccinated plus boosted involved needing a COVID-19 test or not.

 

Transiting through South Korea on both directions is easy, Korean Air does not require a negative COVID-19 test unless your destination country requires one, so going to the Philippines as a fully vaccinated passenger you will need one, but to come home as long as the USA doesn't reinstitute the testing requirements it wasn't required.

I don't think anything I said was incorrect but but I was focused on avoiding testing.  For most people, testing and/or quarantine is a big hassle.  For those who are fully vaccinated and boosted, neither is required to enter PH.

[suss6052 32]

12 hours ago, seekingthetruth said:

I don't think anything I said was incorrect but but I was focused on avoiding testing.  For most people, testing and/or quarantine is a big hassle.  For those who are fully vaccinated and boosted, neither is required to enter PH.

You were 100% incorrect about being fully vaccinated requiring a quarantine no matter what, a test is not difficult to achieve within the 48 hour time limit for a PCR test prior to travel, especially with many urgent care clinics offering 1-2 hour PCR test results, or less than 24 hours ahead for proctored antigen testing. 

 

Quote

Traveler Type	One Health Pass	COVID-19 Test	Proof of Vaccination	Quarantine	Other Requirements
Former Filipinos and foreign nationals (spouse and/or children of a Filipino or a former Filipino national traveling with them) with Balikbayan privilege eligible to enter PH without a visa under Republic Act No. 9174	Yes	Negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours or negative Antigen test taken within 24 hours prior to departure from the country of origin.  The pre-departure COVID-19 test will not be applicable to the ff: 1. Filipino and foreign nationals aged 18 and above who have received primary series of COVID-19 vaccine, and at least one (1) COVID-19 booster shot administered at any time prior to departure. 2. Filipino and foreign nationals aged 12 to 17 who are “fully vaccinated”. 3. Filipino and foreign nationals aged below 12, regardless of their vaccination status, who are accompanied by their parents or guardians who fall under item (1) above. 4. Children below 3 years old.	Yes. Not applicable to children below 12 years old.	No	Shall self-monitor for any sign or symptom until the 7th day from arrival Passport should be valid for a period of at least six (6) months at the time of their arrival to the Philippines. Visa-free for 1 year and shall present documentary proof of relationship to the principal Philippine national. Unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and those whose vaccination status cannot be verified are not Allowed to travel to the Philippines.
Traveler Type	One Health Pass	COVID-19 Test	Proof of Vaccination	Quarantine	Other Requirements
Foreign nationals eligible to enter PH without a visa, under Executive Order No. 408 s. 1960	Yes	Negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours or negative Antigen test taken within 24 hours prior to departure from the country of origin.   The pre-departure COVID-19 test will not be applicable to the ff: 1. Foreign nationals aged 18 and above who have received primary series of COVID-19 vaccine, and at least one (1) COVID-19 booster shot administered at any time prior to departure. 2. Foreign nationals aged 12 to 17 who are “fully vaccinated”. 3. Foreign nationals aged below 12, regardless of their vaccination status, who are accompanied by their parents or guardians who fall under item (1) above. 4. Children below 3 years old.	Yes. Not applicable to children below 12 years old.	No	Shall self-monitor for any sign or symptom until the 7th day from arrival Passport should be valid for a period of at least six (6) months at the time of their arrival to the Philippines. Valid return tickets to the original port of origin or next port of destination for not more than 30 days from the date of arrival in the Philippines. Citizens of Brazil and Israel are allowed to stay for a period not exceeding 59 days. Unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and those whose vaccination status cannot be verified are not Allowed to travel to the Philippines.

https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/ph/home/covid-19/arrivingintheph

What may be more difficult is to get a return PCR or antigen test within the 24 hour time limit from departure for the USA if they reinstate testing for everyone entering the USA, but getting a test to go to the Philippines is quick and easy. 

 

Only if one wished to skip the testing entirely on the way to the Philippines does one need to be both vaccinated and boosted, otherwise a fully vaccinated passenger only requires a test to avoid quarantine. 

 

If you are a foreign national who is unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or unverified you won't be allowed into the Philippines, but they haven't changed the definition of fully vaccinated to avoid quarantine, only gave the option to skip testing if having had at least one additional booster on top of your primary series of vaccination.

[Steve & Erma 33]

@suss6052 So since I am fully vaccinated and boosted once I DO NOT need to have a pre-departure negative COVID test as I read it above... Is that correct?

[Talako 756]

3 hours ago, Steve & Erma said:

@suss6052 So since I am fully vaccinated and boosted once I DO NOT need to have a pre-departure negative COVID test as I read it above... Is that correct?

Yes.  I arrived July 18th.  You just need vaccine card and OneHealthPass. 

 

Within the last few weeks, certain transit points such as Taiwan and Hong Kong have dropped their covid testing requirement for transit passengers as well.

[Steve & Erma 33]

12 minutes ago, Talako said:

Yes.  I arrived July 18th.  You just need vaccine card and OneHealthPass. 

 

Within the last few weeks, certain transit points such as Taiwan and Hong Kong have dropped their covid testing requirement for transit passengers as well.

Why is it I can't sign up for the OneHealthPass until 72 hours before I fly?

[suss6052 32]

3 hours ago, Steve & Erma said:

@suss6052 So since I am fully vaccinated and boosted once I DO NOT need to have a pre-departure negative COVID test as I read it above... Is that correct?

 

14 minutes ago, Talako said:

Yes.  I arrived July 18th.  You just need vaccine card and OneHealthPass. 

 

Within the last few weeks, certain transit points such as Taiwan and Hong Kong have dropped their covid testing requirement for transit passengers as well.

Yes if you are vaccinated and boosted unless your transit country requires a pre-departure test you won't need one until or unless they change the rules again.

 

1 minute ago, Steve & Erma said:

Why is it I can't sign up for the OneHealthPass until 72 hours before I fly?

Because they do not want you to submit the information about your travel earlier than that, and preferably within 24-48 hrs especially if you had been required to present the pre-departure negative covid testing.

[Talako 756]

Just now, Steve & Erma said:

Why is it I can't sign up for the OneHealthPass until 72 hours before I fly?

It is one of those Philippine mysteries.

 

Good news is that it is easy and doesn't take very long.  Be sure to screen shot the QR code at the end.  You will need it a few times.  They don't read it or anything, they just make sure you have it.

 

Btw, Post Falls, not my home town, but I grew up on the other side of the state line.

[Talako 756]

5 minutes ago, suss6052 said:

Because they do not want you to submit the information about your travel earlier than that, and preferably within 24-48 hrs especially if you had been required to present the pre-departure negative covid testing.

Makes sense as things can change.

[Steve & Erma 33]

10 minutes ago, Talako said:

It is one of those Philippine mysteries.

 

Good news is that it is easy and doesn't take very long.  Be sure to screen shot the QR code at the end.  You will need it a few times.  They don't read it or anything, they just make sure you have it.

 

Btw, Post Falls, not my home town, but I grew up on the other side of the state line.

I work in Spokane Valley

[Carpe Vinum 2,314]

xxxx

Edited August 2, 2022 by Carpe Vinum

[Carpe Vinum 2,314]

11 hours ago, Talako said:

It is one of those Philippine mysteries.

 

Good news is that it is easy and doesn't take very long.  Be sure to screen shot the QR code at the end.  You will need it a few times.  They don't read it or anything, they just make sure you have it.

 

Btw, Post Falls, not my home town, but I grew up on the other side of the state line.

One Pass was the least painful thing we had to do for my wife's trip. That was back when everyone had to be tested.