Palace: Imposition of travel ban on Indonesia is on time

Malacañang said Thursday the imposition of travel ban on Indonesia due to rising cases of the more infectious Delta variant there was done on time.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was referring to the imposition on ban on inbound flights from Indonesia or those with travel history to Indonesia within the last 14 days preceding arrival in the Philippines from 12:01 a.m. of July 16, 2021 until 11:59 p.m. on July 31, 2021. 

“Hindi po tayo late (We were not late),” Roque said.

“We have not been issuing tourist and business visas for quite some time,” he added.

Roque cited that due to the longstanding ban on entry of non-Filipino citizens in the country, only 724 individuals entered the Philippines from April to July this year.

“All of them complied with the 10-day mandatory facility quarantine,” Roque added.

Indonesia recorded recorded over 54,000 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, July 14.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said the Philippines is still studying whether a similar ban will be imposed in neighboring countries of Malaysia and Thailand which are also dealing with Delta variant cases.

The Delta variant was first detected in India.

Ahead on the ban on Indonesia, the Philippines extended the ban on inbound flights from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates and Oman until July 31 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News