The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it is ready to implement travel restriction for passengers coming in from China if health authorities finally decide.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco issued the statement as Covid-19 cases continue to soar in many provinces of China.
Italy and many other countries have already started adopting travel precautionary measures for passengers flying in from China to stop the new variant of the virus from reaching their shores.
“We take the cue from the from Malacanang and the Department of Health on the possible implemention of the new travel restrictions,” said Tansingco.
“We are ready at any time to implement any such measures that the government deems appropriate to prevent another surge in the Philippines,” he added.
It can be recalled that at the height of the pandemic, the BI implemented country-by-country Covid-19 travel bans.
The BI also reported that only 30,002 Chinese tourists have entered the country last year, less than one -half percent of the total arrivals.
The BI chief said that before the pandemic, Chinese citizens were the second highest arrivals, next to South Korea.