Philippines bans foreigners from countries with local transmission of COVID-19

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered an entry ban on foreigners coming from countries with reported cases of localized transmissions of COVID-19.

Duterte made the announcement in Malacañang after the Philippines raised Code Red Sub-Level 2 over the threat as recommended to the President by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

The measure also came a day after the World Health Organization declared the viral outbreak a pandemic.

Exempted from the travel ban are Filipino citizens, including their foreign spouse and children, and holders of permanent resident visa and diplomat visas issued by the Philippine government.

The Philippines currently implements a selective travel ban to and from China, Hong Kong, Macau, as well as South Korea to prevent the spread of the deadly virus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.—NB, GMA News