Philippines to allow more business activities, lifts quarantine for vaccinated tourists

In a massive boost for the tourism industry, the Philippines has announced that it would allow more businesses to operate in the capital Manila. Starting on Saturday, 16 October, authorities said that they will allow indoor businesses and tourist places to operate on an increased capacity. Along with this, the archipelagic state is also set to lift mandatory quarantine requirement for international tourists who have received at least two shots of internationally recognised COVID vaccines. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Southeast Asian state has registered over 2,698,232 cases with more than 40,000 deaths, as per tally by Worldometers. While the Philippines is not the top destination for tourists landing in South East Asia, the country is highly dependent on them. Tourism accounts for a quarter of the Philippines annual GDP,  a figure substantially larger than that of its neighbours and popular travel destinations like Thailand and Indonesia. 

What are the new rules in Manila? 

As per the latest update, the capital city will shift to a lower alert level (Level 3) from 16 to 31 October. In a massive change, most businesses including casinos, spas and indoor tourist attractions will be allowed to operate at 30 per cent capacity. It is worth mentioning that the Philippines comprises 7,640 islands and offers a myriad range of revitalising tourist sites. 

Meanwhile, authorities also said that fully vaccinated tourists-from green countries-will be exempted from 14 day quarantine. However, in this case, they would be required to provide a negative COVID report with a test taken 72 hours prior to their departure. 

While the country is seeking to boost tourism, a devastating typhoon hit the Northern Philippines on 14 October, leaving as many as 19 people dead and 13 missing. Typhoon Kompasu, also known as Maring in the Philippines, ravaged the island of Luzon, situated in the northern region. As a result, more than 300 houses were also damaged.

Typhoon Kompasu has affected more than 50,000 households or over 2 lakh people residing in the northern region. The extremely strong tropical storms have also destroyed more than 80 houses beyond repair, reported CNN Philippines, citing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Meanwhile, rescue operations are being carried out in affected areas and security personnel in large numbers have been deployed across various points.

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