CAB clarifies direct flights from China still allowed despite nCoV ban

The travel ban imposed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak did not prohibit direct flights from China but rather banned passengers coming from areas hit with the nCoV, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) clarified on Friday.

CAB made the clarification after several netizens pointed out that flights were still coming from China, Hong Kong, and Macau despite the ban.

According to Ivan Mayrina's Friday report on 24 Oras, flights from these areas were not banned and Filipinos or those with permanent resident visas were allowed entry.

For other passengers who took indirect flights, or those with connecting flights from Hong Kong, China, and Macau, they would only be allowed entry once a 14-day period had passed since the flight.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that Chinese nationals were trying to slip past ban almost daily.

"Meron mga Chinese na pumunta ng Cambodia, isang araw lang ang pagitan, hindi po namin pinapasok," BI Chief Port Operations Division Grifton Medina said.

"Kaya namin tinitignan ng husto 'yung travel records o 'yung travel history," he added.

While there were flights coming in from China, Hong Kong, and Macau as of Friday, authorities observed that these were decreasing.

"Flights are not banned. But the natural consequence of the travel ban is that the flights would decline and will stop because there's no market," Arcilla said.

On Friday, eight flights arrived and left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Hong Kong.

Most of the passengers flying in were Filipinos and those with permanent resident visas, while those leaving were mostly foreigners.

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines had canceled flights from China and Hong Kong.

In Kalibo, Aklan, there were no longer direct flights from China. The last such trip was an Air Asia Flight on February 2, before the implementation of the travel ban.

At the Clark International Airport, all direct flights from China had been canceled.

Though flights from China and Hong Kong were still coming into the Mactan International Airport in Cebu, these too had been decreasing.

At the Davao International Airport, there were no longer any flights from China and Hong Kong. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News