MANILA -- The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Wednesday, December 29, 2021, approved the recommendation to maintain all provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities under Alert Level 2 from January 1, 2022 until January 15, 2022.

The IATF likewise released an updated country risk classification effective January 1, 2022 until January 15, 2022.

Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Spain shall be under the Red List.

Under the Green List are Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands, China (Mainland), Cote d’ Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Fiji, The Gambia, Guinea, Hong Kong (Chinese Special Administrative Region), Indonesia, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Montserrat, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saba (Special Municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands), Saint Barthelemy, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sint Eustatius, Taiwan, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Togo, Uganda and United Arab Emirates.

All other countries/territories /jurisdictions not mentioned above shall be under the Yellow List.

Meanwhile, the IATF, upon the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs, approved the acceptance/recognition for purposes of arrival quarantine protocols as well as for interzonal/intrazonal movement the national COVID-19 vaccination certificate of Armenia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Kuwait, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United States of America and Oman. This is in addition to such other countries/territories/ jurisdictions whose proofs of vaccination the IATF already approved for recognition in the Philippines, and without prejudice to such other proofs of vaccination approved by the IATF for all inbound travelers.

In this connection, the Bureau of Quarantine, the Department of Transportation – One Stop Shop and the Bureau of Immigration are directed to recognize only the proofs of vaccination thus approved by the IATF. (OPS)