Encouraging news from BI today ?

[graham59]

Just released on to the BI Facebook page today....

.

14 December 2020

PRESS RELEASE

PH Immigration backs use of COVID-19 passport

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) welcomed proposals to introduce a COVID-19 passport for international travelers, saying it will speed up immigration processing at the airports and facilitate the revival of tourism and travel industry in the country.

In a statement, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente expressed the Bureau’s support for initiatives to create a global COVID-19 passport that, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT), would usher in the entry of more tourists as it would streamline entry procedures.

Morente said current procedures requiring arriving international travelers to be tested at the airport could pose problems to the BI in the near future as the country reopens its borders to more foreigners, especially tourists.

“The anticipated influx of more international travelers could result in longer queues and overcrowding in our immigration counters as all of these passengers should be tested at the airport before they are allowed to enter the country,” the BI chief said.

He observed that with the use of a COVID-19 passport support evidencing that a traveller was vaccinated and is free of the virus, the conduct of immigration formalities for arriving passengers would be faster and easier and people congestion at the airports would be lessened, if not avoided.

Morente also echoed the statement of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat that the COVID-19 passport would facilitate international travel with stringent health and safety measures in place as it will assure countries that visting tourists are vaccinated and COVID-free.

Earlier, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) disclosed it plans to launch a so-called IATA travel pass, which was described as a global and standardized solution to validate and authenticate country regulations on COVID-19 passenger travel requirements.

The IATA explained that the project aims to create a digital system that will enable passengers to verify that their test or vaccination meets existing COVID-19 travel regulations.

“The importance of this proposed COVID-19 passport cannot be underestimated when our country fully reopens its borders to all international travelers,” Morente said.

He added that he foresees travelers to again begin arriving in the country in droves by the second half of next year when the COVID-19 vaccine is seen to be available in the country.

"We are hopeful that trust and confidence in international travel will be, little by little, renewed," he stated.

[Jack Peterson]

3 minutes ago, graham59 said:

He added that he foresees travelers to again begin arriving in the country in droves by the second half of next year when the COVID-19 vaccine is seen to be available in the country.

 That is Great for tourism Graham but ( and there is always a but) It is not very Good for those like Geoff "H" or Terry "P" who are stuck out there with a family and commitments ( Houses/ business  etc)  here, Surely more needs to be done quickly for those that are being kept from their loved ones here or are we looking at the influx of quick money again? 

[graham59]

Point taken Jack.  I think a step in the right direction though. (I suppose the govt here are looking to the more immediate financial gain for the country).

Hopefully after this step, the next one will be to sort things out for those people and circumstances you've mentioned. 

[Terry P]

6 minutes ago, graham59 said:

Point taken Jack.  I think a step in the right direction though. (I suppose the govt here are looking to the more immediate financial gain for the country).

Hopefully after this step, the next one will be to sort things out for those people and circumstances you've mentioned. 

Tourist visa comes back on line that is the likes of Geoff and me sorted.

Looks like it mainly hinges on proof of vaccination going forward. Hopefully that'll get rid of quarantine requirements

I've been banging on about vaccine passport for weeks. Report in the new York times today says it's already been trialled on flights to Heathrow

Yes Graham it is a step in the right direction and nice to see something from BI about it but as Jack points out the timescale of this being rolled out is still looking a long way off

 

 

[GeoffH]

11 hours ago, TerryP said:

Tourist visa comes back on line that is the likes of Geoff and me sorted.

Looks like it mainly hinges on proof of vaccination going forward. Hopefully that'll get rid of quarantine requirements

I've been banging on about vaccine passport for weeks. Report in the new York times today says it's already been trialled on flights to Heathrow

Yes Graham it is a step in the right direction and nice to see something from BI about it but as Jack points out the timescale of this being rolled out is still looking a long way off

 

I totally agree Terry, and I've already talked to SWMBO and we've come around to thinking that I won't be back before June next year (I'd love to be wrong but I can't see it given that Aussie aren't starting vaccination until march for front line medical staff and over 80s.  2nd group is seniors less than 80 (my lot) and that's estimated as june/july now.

I'd been hoping for a 'vaccine and vaccine passport for travellers' arrangement but I'm guessing that'll be restricted to what the government class as essential travel (and I already don't meet that criteria).

[BrettGC]

For me it's a race between 13a and vaccination, whichever comes first.  As I've stated in other threads, I'm still not in a position to move there permanently, but just knowing I would be able to at least visit whenever I want would give both AM and myself peace of mind.  I'm only 51 so I'll be a long way down the list with regards to vaccination, but being type 2 diabetic may bump me up the pecking order a little; not high risk per se, but rather higher risk than someone my age that isn't diabetic. 

I'm fortunate enough to live in an area where we've had no community transmission at all but that may also work against me with on the pecking order.  

AM (Angry Midget) and I haven't seen each other since the 16th of Feb, I'm just grateful for modern technology, intermittent PI connection issues aside.  

 

 

[Heeb]

On 12/14/2020 at 6:55 PM, graham59 said:

Just released on to the BI Facebook page today....

.

14 December 2020

PRESS RELEASE

PH Immigration backs use of COVID-19 passport

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) welcomed proposals to introduce a COVID-19 passport for international travelers, saying it will speed up immigration

He observed that with the use of a COVID-19 passport support evidencing that a traveller was vaccinated and is free of the virus, the conduct of immigration formalities for arriving passengers would be faster and easier and people congestion at the airports would be lessened, if not avoided.

Morente also echoed the statement of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat that the COVID-19 passport would facilitate international travel with stringent health and safety measures in place as it will assure countries that visting tourists are vaccinated and COVID-free.

 

From what I understand the vaccinations only limits the severity of the Covid19 infection, a person can still catch the virus and is still capable of spreading it, which might make the temperature and symptoms check useless, so a person who has Covid19 could fly into the country with a Covid passport, have no symptoms and still become a super spreader.

[BrettGC]

7 minutes ago, Heeb said:

From what I understand the vaccinations only limits the severity of the Covid19 infection, a person can still catch the virus and is still capable of spreading it, which might make the temperature and symptoms check useless, so a person who has Covid19 could fly into the country with a Covid passport, have no symptoms and still become a super spreader.

If that's the case, it's not a vaccine then but rather a medication, like paracetamol or aspirin, which also relieve the symptoms.  

Quote

A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins.

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by BrettGC

[Explorer]

16 minutes ago, Heeb said:

From what I understand the vaccinations only limits the severity of the Covid19 infection, a person can still catch the virus and is still capable of spreading it, which might make the temperature and symptoms check useless, so a person who has Covid19 could fly into the country with a Covid passport, have no symptoms and still become a super spreader.

You are right, they are now starting to move the goalpost and telling us that vaccinated people still need to wear face mask and social distance... remember "15 days to slow the spread"? 

[Heeb]

15 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

If that's the case, it's not a vaccine then but rather a medication, like paracetamol or aspirin, which also relieve the symptoms.  

 

I'm just repeating what I hear on the news as far as the "Covid19 vaccination" even here on GMA  that it only reduces the symptoms.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/health/covid-vaccine-mask.html