DFA chief Locsin recommends India travel ban

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday said he has recommended that the Philippine government impose a temporary ban on travelers from India.

“I have suggested to the IATF that a travel ban be imposed on all our good friends in the entire Indian subcontinent,” he said on Twitter, referring to the government’s inter-agency task force for COVID-19. 

“It’s not personal; it’s for everyone’s safety for now; we’ll be able to be together again,” he added.

The Department of Health earlier said it spoke with the DFA to discuss a possible ban on travelers from India, which is battling a surge in COVID-19 cases that has severely strained its healthcare system. 

Experts said the surge in India was largely driven by a new coronavirus variant described as a “double mutant” due to its mutations. 

Philippine health authorities said this variant has not been detected locally yet.

The country has so far recorded 659 B.1.1.7 (United Kingdom) variant cases, 695 B.1.351 (South Africa) variant cases, 2 P.1 (Brazil) variant cases, and 148 cases of the P.3 variant first detected in Central Visayas. 

The Philippines is also battling a fresh spike in infections that has caused Metro Manila and neighboring provinces to return to a stricter lockdown classification. --KBK, GMA News

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