Expanded travel ban just a recommendation, Duque clarifies

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Tuesday clarified that his announcement regarding the expanded travel ban to 20 countries with recorded cases of a new coronavirus variant was recommendatory and not yet final.

"It's a recommendation... Hintayin na lang natin 'yung sa OP [Office of the President] issuance today," Duque told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

Duque, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello, and the Department of Transportation earlier said the travel ban will be expanded to 20 countries from December 30, 2020 to January 15, 2021 to prevent the possible spread of the new coronavirus variant in the Philippines.

At a news briefing, however, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque advised the public to wait for guidelines from the Office of the President, which he said could be released as early as Tuesday.

"What I understand now is the Office of the Executive Secretary is drafting guidelines that would conform to what the President said na walang Pilipino na nais umuwi na puwedeng pigilan," Roque said at a briefing.

"My office is the only one authorized to issue any information relating to COVID so antayin niyo pong mag-issue tayo ng anunsyo kung epektibo na ang travel ban sa iba pang mga bansa sa may new variants... May dahilan po kung bakit nais ni Presidente na sentral po sa opisina natin ang pag-release ng impormasyon para maiwasan ang kalituhan," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte has earlier approved the extension of the travel ban from the United Kingdom, including those that transited from the UK, for another two weeks after December 31, 2020. --KBK, GMA News