Suspension of international flights to last until May 8 —IATF

All international flights to and from the Philippines will remain suspended until May 8, Malacañang said Tuesday. 

In a televised briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the suspension will last until 11:59 p.m. of May 8 based on the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). 

These flights, however, will be allowed during the temporary suspension which took effect on May 3. 

• official flights
• emergency flights
• cargo ambulance and medical supply flights
• weather mitigation flights
• maintenance flights
• international flights for stranded foreign nationals

The airports covered by the suspension are the following:

• Ninoy Aquino International Airport
• Davao International Airport
• Clark International Airport
• Iloilo International Airport
• Mactan-Cebu International Airport
• Zamboanga International Airport
• Kalibo International Airport
• Laoag International Airport
• Puerto Princesa International Airport

National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the suspension was made to give the government the opportunity to decongest the quarantine facilities in Metro Manila.

“This decision is meant to decongest our quarantine facilities to protect our people by preventing the further spread of COVID-19 and also ensure that our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are well taken cared of when they arrive from abroad,” Galvez said in a statement on Sunday. —KG, GMA News