The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has recommended keeping the country’s borders closed to incoming travelers from India and six other countries until mid-June, Malacanang said Monday.
The Philippines initially banned the entry of travelers from India last April 29 to May 14. The ban was extended to May 31 and now for the third time until June 15, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said.
The ban was issued due to a new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) variant from India found to infect people faster.
Roque said there is no memorandum yet from the Office of the President on the continuation of the travel ban, although the IATF has recommended to extend the existing travel bans until June 15.
“But I repeat, the President has made no decision on the matter yet,” he said.
Roque said the regulation covered those coming from India or those with travel history to India within the 14 days preceding their arrival in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday urged the public not to panic over news of a hybrid coronavirus variant reported in Vietnam.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the World Health Organization has not yet received details of the apparent variant. The WHO keeps a list of variants detected in different countries.
“The process is, when we detect additional mutations or new variants in a country, we submit it to the WHO. Because the WHO manages it, it's a system where you classify the variants of concern so that all countries would know, and would take precautionary measures,” she said in an online forum.
Reports said Vietnam has discovered a new COVID-19 variant, which spreads quickly by air and is a combination of the Indian and British strains.
Vietnam is struggling to deal with fresh outbreaks across more than half of its territory, including industrial zones and big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Roque said an exception was given to passengers who are part of the government’s repatriation efforts.
More than 6,700 cases including 47 deaths have been reported in Vietnam — the lion's share have occurred since April. Vietnam — a country of 97 million people — has vaccinated a little over a million citizens.
"For now, we still don’t have sufficient evidence for this. We don’t need to panic. We will strengthen the implementation of health protocols and we will be protected from any of these variants,” Vergeire said.
The DOH reminded the public that no matter what variant may become dominant or pervasive in the country, the manner of transmission and avoiding infection remains the same.
This is the reason why individuals are constantly reminded to follow minimum public health protocols, he said.
Local governments units (LGUs) are encouraged to strengthen the implementation of measures to stop the spread of the virus.
