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UPDATE: PH now at COVID-19 Level 3 based on US CDC

by Kevyn Gohu
August 17, 2022

For many of our family members in the US, the PH being COVID-19 Level 3 could be good news as it’ll be easier for them to come home.

Many of our family members migrated to the US or Canada to find greener pastures or to get away from COVID-19. But that doesn’t remove the homesickness of leaving our other family members that weren’t as lucky. However, with the news from the Philippines registering approximately 900 cases a week, the US CDC lowered the PH’s COVID-19 risk from level 4 to level 3 last Monday.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, the rising COVID-19 cases have once again made the Philippines a “high-risk travel area” in the eyes of the US CDC despite the report of the Department of Health. According to Maria Rosario Vergeire, DOH’s Officer-in-Charge, the rising cases are based only on “incidence and testing results”.

Not just for tourism’s sake

Originally told to avoid going to said destinations, people in the US are still told to get fully vaccinated before traveling to the PH. But this isn’t just for tourism. Families who have parents or relatives working in the US suffered distress from the separation. Kids with OFW parents may have found themselves feeling abandoned while OFW parents may have felt feelings of homesickness. Nobody wants to live away from their loved ones. But COVID-19 made that nightmare a reality.

If anything, hearing that the PH is now at COVID-19 Level 3 is good news. There may be some processes to go in and out but the risk is lower and the hoops may be less. Although, it’s always best to have everything from the authority to travel to getting the full dose of the vaccines and booster.

Check which areas are low-risk

As of now, OCTAResearch considers NCR “low risk” which allowed the lowering of the lockdown level from 2 to 1. However, being separate from other areas makes the Philippines have varying risk levels in which some areas may still have a high risk. But the fact that other countries are slowly removing the PH from the “red list” of COVID-19 countries is good news for families and parents who have been yearning to return home.