'Absolute' ban on travelers from UK urged amid new coronavirus variant

A party-list lawmaker is calling for an "absolute" ban of travelers, including Filipinos, coming from the United Kingdom (UK) after a new coronavirus variant was detected there.

"Travel ban on flights from the UK should be absolute, covering all travelers, all airlines coming from the UK, with passengers originally coming from the UK, and including all Filipinos coming from the UK," said BHW party-list Representative Angelica Natasha Co in a statement over the weekend.

The new coronavirus variant detected in the UK, SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 (Variant Under Investigation, year 2020, month 12, variant 01), was reported be 70% more transmissible than SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

However, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said there is no evidence yet that the new variant makes COVID-19 more severe.

Nevertheless, Co appealed to all airlines with direct and connecting flights to and from the UK to voluntarily stop all their flights.

"I make this appeal for the sake of travelers and all your airline workers. Please do you part to stop the new contagious variant from spreading," she said.

"I also believe the Philippines has a moral responsibility to the rest of the world, as a member of the community of nations, to prevent travel of COVID-19 spreaders from the Philippines."

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the extension for another two weeks of the travel ban for flights from the UK in light of the new coronavirus variant. The ban is originally set to expire on December 31, 2020.

Travelers from countries where the new coronavirus variant have been reported will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival to the Philippines.

The President also asked the Department of Health and the Department of Science and Technology to create a new task force that would focus on developments related to the new coronavirus variant. —KBK, GMA News