February 25, 2020 | 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday that authorities are considering banning travel to and from South Korea, where the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has reached 763.
Assistant Secretary of Health Ma. Rosario Vergeire said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases, which is following the ban, has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation around the world.
Stakeholders in the Philippine tourism industry have called for a more in-depth study of the likely impact of the planned restrictions.
“At this point, we have to look at this very carefully because if it’s done casually, there could be some adverse effects,” Philippine Tourism Congress (TCP) president Jose Clement III told The Star.
“The IATF is looking into whether a travel ban needs to be imposed. Certain criteria were used in making this decision,” she noted in a news release.
On Sunday, South Korea’s government raised its top alert for COVID-19 after cases surged by 160 over the weekend. The outbreak is linked to a branch of the Xintiandi Jesus Church and a hospital in Qingdao County.
South Korea had a total of 763 COVID-19 cases, including seven deaths, as of yesterday morning, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vergeire added that the task force will also discuss the possibility of restricting travel to and from Singapore, which currently has 89 cases.
“We have standard guidelines and it will apply to all countries, in addition to our current guidelines for China, Hong Kong and Macau,” she noted.
She added that there are four criteria for implementing the travel ban. These are “the number of travelers coming to Manila from that country, the infection burden of that country”.
She explained that “the exposure risks and stringent infection control protocols being implemented in the country” were also taken into account.
Currently, the Philippine government is imposing a travel ban in China while lifting travel restrictions on Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
The plan to include Singapore in the ban comes after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that a Filipino national in the island nation had tested positive for COVID-19.
Citing a report from the Philippine embassy in Singapore, the Filipino is now in an isolation room at a Singapore hospital.
“The Department of Health does not share patients’ personal details in accordance with its privacy policy,” the DFA said in a statement.
The embassy, in close coordination with the Singapore Ministry of Health, stands ready to provide all consular assistance to patients as needed.
All Filipinos in Singapore are encouraged to remain vigilant, observe proper hygiene, avoid crowds or large gatherings, and monitor personal health frequently. People with fever, cough, sore throat and difficulty breathing are advised to seek immediate medical attention.
“Proceed with caution”
Commenting on a possible ban, “we need to tread carefully, but also to maintain the security of our country.”
“Maybe we need to see how other countries respond to this situation and see if we can strike a balance between security and having a good relationship with South Korea,” he added.
Since 2010, South Korea has been the country’s largest source market for foreign tourists. In 2019, the Philippines received 1.98 million Korean tourists, an increase of 22.48% over the previous year.
Asked if foreign arrivals were expected to drop further due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in South Korea, Tourism Minister Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said: “We are monitoring the situation and hope it can be brought under control.”
“In the meantime, we will continue to take the necessary precautions and precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of all locals and visitors,” Puyat added.
The Philippines earlier imposed a temporary travel ban on China and its special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
In an earlier joint statement, the DOT and TCP assured the public, especially domestic and foreign tourists, that the Philippines remains a safe travel destination.
“The national government is taking all precautionary and preventive measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (nCoV), including temporarily banning the entry of tourists from China and its special administrative regions (SAR) Hong Kong and Macau, Taiwan and Filipinos from the aforementioned places. 14-day quarantine,” the joint statement read.
The DOT emphasized that even before the temporary ban, the travel industry had implemented safeguards against COVID-19 concerns, noting that it had earlier issued guidance on handling guests of tourism businesses during a global emergency.
“At our airports and some tourist establishments, temperatures are taken by infrared thermometers before guests are allowed in, and more hand sanitizers have been made available for use,” it added.
Both the DOT and TCP stressed that the safety of the public, especially tourists and tourism workers, remains the nation’s top priority.
“While monitoring the situation closely, we remind the public to maintain proper hygiene. Wash your hands frequently, wear a surgical mask if you have a cough or a cold, wear a surgical mask, stay indoors or seek medical help if you have a fever,” DOT said. and TCP said earlier. – with Katherine Talavera and Pia Lee-Braggo
