Philippines expands travel ban to limit spread of coronavirus variant

December 29, 2020 - 1:48 PM
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A worker wearing personal protective equipment sprays disinfectant at the check-in counters of Cebu Pacific airline to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 9, 2020. (Reuters/Eloisa Lopez)

MANILA — The Philippines will ban travelers from 19 countries and territories until mid-January as a measure to keep out a new variant of the coronavirus, its transport ministry said on Tuesday.

The regulation will be in effect from midnight of December 29 to January 15, covers Filipinos and foreigners arriving from the “flagged countries”, the transport ministry told reporters in a group text message.

The Philippine government previously imposed and later extended a flight ban from Britain until mid-January. —Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Martin Petty

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