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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Puyat: Gov't mulls scrapping travel ban on HK, Macau upon proof of strict protocols  

Puyat: Gov't mulls scrapping travel ban on HK, Macau upon proof of strict protocols  

Published Feb 15, 2020 12:00 am
By Ellalyn de Vera-Ruiz  Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the Philippine government is considering lifting the travel ban imposed on visitors from Hong Kong and Macau in its effort to control the spread of the coronavirus. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo- Puyat (ALBERT GARCIA / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo- Puyat (ALBERT GARCIA / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) In an interview over CNN Philippines on Saturday, Romulo-Puyat said the travel ban may be lifted if Hong Kong and Macau can assure the Philippine government of stricter protocols for travelers planning to enter the Philippines. Authorities earlier imposed travel restrictions on tourists from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan to help prevent the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The Philippine government lifted last Friday its travel ban on Taiwan after it had imposed strict measures and protocols to prevent potential virus carriers from entering or leaving their territory. “Before, there was a question that people from China would go to Taiwan and come to the Philippines without any detection. Now, even before they come here, we already know if they have been to China or not. That is the most important parameter,” Romulo-Puyat said. A regular review on the travel restrictions is being conducted by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF). “We would be meeting each other as needed or every two to three days to discuss the protocols,” Romulo-Puyat said. In this case, “they (Hong Kong and Macau) have yet to meet the protocols” set by the IATF, she added. Travelers from China, Hong Kong, and Macau have been banned from entering the Philippines since Feb. 2. It was only on Feb. 10 that Taiwan was included in the travel ban.
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