8,702 COVID Cases Logged as More Tourist Spots Go Swab-Free

The Philippines logged 8,702 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday as more domestic tourist spots dropped the negative RT-PCR requirement for travelers.

The day's tally brought active cases to 153,335, with a total of 15,290 new recoveries and 71 new deaths reported.

Overall, a total of 3,585,461 COVID-19 cases have been reported since the pandemic began in March 2020, of which 3,377,958 have recovered and 54,168 died.

Alert Level 2 in Metro Manila and seven other provinces is expected to last until Feb. 15. Also under the second lowest set of restrictions are the provinces of Batanes, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Biliran, Southern Leyte, and Basilan.

Alert Level 2 means children can still go outdoors for leisure activities, and industries are allowed to operate at bigger capacities based on guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 response.

Fully vaccinated tourists are once again allowed to enter Boracay island without a negative RT-PCR test result ahead of the country's reopening to fully vaccinated international arrivals on Feb. 16.

Those headed for Bohol, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao can also skip the RT-PCR test and present requirements that state their vaccination status. Check the list of swab-free destinations.

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