Senators urge gov't to impose travel ban on travelers from China
Published Jan 30, 2020 12:00 am
By Hannah Torregoza
Senators on Thursday urged the government to immediately impose a travel ban on all individuals travelling from China and all travelers who have passed through China in the past two weeks.
Senator Risa Hontiveros
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) “My proposal is a TEMPORARY travel ban of at least 30 days in light of the first confirmed case of the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) in the country,” Sen. Risa Hontiveros said in a statement. “Our travel ban must firmly include both air and sea travel to prevent a local outbreak. This includes a temporary ban on all cruise ships from docking at any of our ports.” She also urged the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) to implement a mandatory quarantine on all those who have just arrived from China, to remain vigilant, and to study the safety measures of our neighboring countries with confirmed cases of nCoV. “This temporary travel ban will give time for our health authorities to set in place all safeguards necessary in case there are more confirmations of the 2019-nCoV presence in the country from those under present surveillance,” she said. “I also call on our public health units, especially our barangay health centers, to engage in active community surveillance.” Hontiveros also pushed the government to extend full assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in China, or in any countries with confirmed cases of the nCoV, who seek repatriation in relation to possible exposure. “Kailangang siguraduhing ligtas ang mga Pilipino mula sa banta ng (We need to ensure that the Philippines is safe from the) 2019 novel coronavirus,” Hontiveros stressed. Put up temporary ‘Great Wall’ vs Chinese visitors In a separate statement, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto also stressed the importance of putting a temporary “Do Not Enter” sign “on our doorstep for visitors from China. Recto said this should not be misconstrued as the Philippines permanently closing its doors on China, but that this is only a “temporary measure” to contain the spread of nCoV now that the DOH has confirmed its first case in the Philippines. “I think it is time to put a temporary ‘do not enter sign’ on our doorstep for visitors from China,” Recto said. “Let us explain to them that we are not permanently closing our doors. This is not a permanent Great Wall. This is only during the duration of the coronavirus crisis. “There is no hint of racism or xenophobia in this policy. This is an assertion of the national well-being and an acceptance of the fact that our defenses and capacity to respond to a health emergency are not that strong,” Recto pointed out. Recto said imposing stricter border control is consistent with what China is doing to fend off the virus. Because even within China, he noted its government quarantined 40 million of its people, confining them in their homes and restricting their travel. “When China sneezes, we get pneumonia. If that is the case, then an ounce of border control is worth a ton of cure,” he said. Recto also said allowing Chinese travelers at this time to roam around the country may affect the Philippine economy. “They said a temporary ban on Chinese visitors will harm them. On the contrary, it will harm us more, in tourism receipts forfeited. And greater harm if the virus will be carried in here by them,” he said. At the same time, Recto scored the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) for clearing the two ships carrying scores of tourists from Hong Kong and China that arrived in Manila this week. He said it was wrong for the BOQ to clear that cruise ship from China “in express fashion.” “Abundant caution should have been exercised,” he said. Recto also said airport screening of incoming passengers “regardless of their origin” should be strict because the virus can enter the country via other routes and means. Government should prioritize Filipinos Sen. Joel Villanueva also supported calls for the government to impose travel restrictions to and from China, saying it should prioritize the safety and security of Filipinos over other considerations. “We call on our fellow kababayans (countrymen) here in the Philippines to follow safety precautions and avoid crowded places for now,” Villanueva said. “We also dissuade them against circulating fake news on social media, which tend to incite people to fear and panic.” Villanueva, who heads the Senate committee on labor and employment, urged OFWs whose deployment to China are upcoming and for the “balik manggagawa” (returning workers) to postpone their trips there indefinitely to minimize the risk of being infected with the virus. “For OFWs stranded in the quarantined areas, please follow the health protocol being observed in the area. Help our diplomatic staff there by notifying your status so that every Filipino is accounted for,” Villanueva said. READ MORE: DOH confirms 1st case of 2019-nCoV in PH
Senator Risa Hontiveros(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) “My proposal is a TEMPORARY travel ban of at least 30 days in light of the first confirmed case of the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) in the country,” Sen. Risa Hontiveros said in a statement. “Our travel ban must firmly include both air and sea travel to prevent a local outbreak. This includes a temporary ban on all cruise ships from docking at any of our ports.” She also urged the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) to implement a mandatory quarantine on all those who have just arrived from China, to remain vigilant, and to study the safety measures of our neighboring countries with confirmed cases of nCoV. “This temporary travel ban will give time for our health authorities to set in place all safeguards necessary in case there are more confirmations of the 2019-nCoV presence in the country from those under present surveillance,” she said. “I also call on our public health units, especially our barangay health centers, to engage in active community surveillance.” Hontiveros also pushed the government to extend full assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in China, or in any countries with confirmed cases of the nCoV, who seek repatriation in relation to possible exposure. “Kailangang siguraduhing ligtas ang mga Pilipino mula sa banta ng (We need to ensure that the Philippines is safe from the) 2019 novel coronavirus,” Hontiveros stressed. Put up temporary ‘Great Wall’ vs Chinese visitors In a separate statement, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto also stressed the importance of putting a temporary “Do Not Enter” sign “on our doorstep for visitors from China. Recto said this should not be misconstrued as the Philippines permanently closing its doors on China, but that this is only a “temporary measure” to contain the spread of nCoV now that the DOH has confirmed its first case in the Philippines. “I think it is time to put a temporary ‘do not enter sign’ on our doorstep for visitors from China,” Recto said. “Let us explain to them that we are not permanently closing our doors. This is not a permanent Great Wall. This is only during the duration of the coronavirus crisis. “There is no hint of racism or xenophobia in this policy. This is an assertion of the national well-being and an acceptance of the fact that our defenses and capacity to respond to a health emergency are not that strong,” Recto pointed out. Recto said imposing stricter border control is consistent with what China is doing to fend off the virus. Because even within China, he noted its government quarantined 40 million of its people, confining them in their homes and restricting their travel. “When China sneezes, we get pneumonia. If that is the case, then an ounce of border control is worth a ton of cure,” he said. Recto also said allowing Chinese travelers at this time to roam around the country may affect the Philippine economy. “They said a temporary ban on Chinese visitors will harm them. On the contrary, it will harm us more, in tourism receipts forfeited. And greater harm if the virus will be carried in here by them,” he said. At the same time, Recto scored the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) for clearing the two ships carrying scores of tourists from Hong Kong and China that arrived in Manila this week. He said it was wrong for the BOQ to clear that cruise ship from China “in express fashion.” “Abundant caution should have been exercised,” he said. Recto also said airport screening of incoming passengers “regardless of their origin” should be strict because the virus can enter the country via other routes and means. Government should prioritize Filipinos Sen. Joel Villanueva also supported calls for the government to impose travel restrictions to and from China, saying it should prioritize the safety and security of Filipinos over other considerations. “We call on our fellow kababayans (countrymen) here in the Philippines to follow safety precautions and avoid crowded places for now,” Villanueva said. “We also dissuade them against circulating fake news on social media, which tend to incite people to fear and panic.” Villanueva, who heads the Senate committee on labor and employment, urged OFWs whose deployment to China are upcoming and for the “balik manggagawa” (returning workers) to postpone their trips there indefinitely to minimize the risk of being infected with the virus. “For OFWs stranded in the quarantined areas, please follow the health protocol being observed in the area. Help our diplomatic staff there by notifying your status so that every Filipino is accounted for,” Villanueva said. READ MORE: DOH confirms 1st case of 2019-nCoV in PH