MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday announced the imposition of temporary ban on the entry of travelers from South Korea’s North Gyeongsang province in a bid to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said this move is upon the recommendation of the Inter-agency Task Force on Infectious Disease.
“I’d like to announce that the Inter-agency Task Force on Infectious Disease met today and it has approved to impose a ban on the entry of travelers coming from North Gyeongsang province of South Korea effective immediately,” Panelo said.
The Department of Health earlier said there is no confirmed case of Filipinos infected by COVID-19 in South Korea.
South Korea now has the most number of COVID-19 cases outside China with 1,146 so far, mostly in the city of Daegu and its nearby areas. It has earlier raised its alert on COVID-19 to the highest level due to the rapid surge in number of cases.
World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the jump in new COVID-19 cases in South Korea, Iran and Italy is “deeply concerning.”
The novel coronavirus started from Wuhan, China and has spread to 48 countries so far. The death toll has reached 2,715 in China, its National Health Commission said on Wednesday./PN
