MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines on Friday extended a two-week ban on travelers from more than 30 areas and countries where a more transmissible COVID-19 variant was detected, with the restriction now also applying to Filipinos who want to coming home.
The country in Southeast Asia, which recorded its first case of a new variant first found in Britain, has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases and victims in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia.
The flight ban, which has been extended from the initial 19 states and territories and was initially imposed for two weeks until January 15, will now be in effect until January 31, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.
The ban also now applies to travelers from China from January 13 and the United States starting on January 3.
While the British variant is almost 70% more transmissible than the original, there is still no evidence that it is more dangerous.
The flight ban now covers all travelers coming from or traveling through the flag countries, which also includes Japan, Australia, Israel, Hong Kong, France, Germany and Italy, the statement said.
Previously, Filipinos were allowed out of the territories on condition that they undergo a 14-day quarantine in an isolation facility designated by the government.
Roque said exemptions from the access restrictions could be issued by the government’s coronavirus task force.
(Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz; Editing by Ed Davies)