The Philippines Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the following statement in relation to the reopening of the Philippines Missionary Training Center and recent COVID-19 cases encountered:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates with a high standard of health and safety protocols in re-opening Missionary Training Centers. A small number of missionaries were recently invited to train in person at the Manila, Philippines MTC and each of the 68 missionaries, who are all from within the country, were tested before their arrival. During follow-up testing within the MTC, 20 missionaries and three staff members tested positive for COVID-19. All of those who have tested positive report mild symptoms and remain quarantined.
The MTC is abiding by local government direction and all missionaries will remain in the MTC and will be closely monitored until the quarantine period is over. No additional missionaries will train in person at this time. Due to limited opportunities to receive a COVID vaccine in the Philippines, missionaries training in the Philippines MTC are not currently required to be vaccinated.