Lawmakers urge travel ban to avoid coronavirus variant

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines should close its border to all countries with known cases of the new variant of the coronavirus, House of Representatives lawmakers said Sunday.

President Rodrigo Duterte approved on Saturday the extension of a two-week travel ban to the UK until mid-January to prevent the variant from reaching the Philippines.

It also approved mandatory quarantine for travelers from countries where the variant had been reported, such as Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

But for some members of the House, that is not enough.

Community spread

Antiquities Representative Loren Legarda, a vice speaker of the House of Representatives, said Sunday that “a travel ban to countries with known mutant coronavirus should be considered now.”

“We cannot afford to relax again and wait for the local broadcast,” Legarda tweeted, recalling how he recommended to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to impose a travel ban to China in January, but the health chief ignored of your recommendation. .

He said that Duque then told the House: “That is not necessary. We can handle it. “

“And now we must wait for the community transmission? We can’t afford that, ”Legarda said.

On Saturday, Duque said the government would consider a travel ban to other countries only when local transmission of the variant occurs in those countries.

In a statement, BHW representative Angelica Natasha Co urged a ban on all flights from the UK, where the coronavirus variant was first reported in mid-December.

“I appeal to all airlines [that] have direct and connecting flights to and from the UK to voluntarily stop all those flights. I make this appeal for the good of the travelers and all the workers of your airline. Please do your part to stop the new [coronavirus] variant of the spread, ”said Co.

Citing statements from UK officials, Co said the UK had registered 1,000 new cases of the variant.

No plan

“That means there is already local transmission. This contradicts Secretary Duque’s claims. Either it is unaware of the latest developments in the UK or it lacks the ability to safeguard the health of our people, ”said Co.

The Kabataan party list criticized the government for the absence of a plan to prevent the variant from spreading to the Philippines.

“With the new strain of the virus, the government should act immediately and have a scientific plan to prevent it from entering the Philippines,” the groups said in a statement Sunday.

But the government, he said, has chosen to “go passive once again” and “wait for community transmission before acting.”

Kabataan said the government’s decision was “not only illogical, but also incredibly dangerous” for the people.

“Why wait for community transmission when you can act now and prevent [the variant] to enter the Philippines? “said the group.

President Duterte approved bio-surveillance and border control plans to keep the variant out. He also stressed the importance of intensifying local vigilance, warning mayors and barangay officials that they would be sanctioned if there were failures on their part to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Those who really [in charge] there are the mayors and captains of barangay. So make it an obligation for them to really strictly follow the direction we take in this fight against COVID as well, ”said Mr. Duterte at Saturday’s meeting, addressing the Secretary of the Interior, Eduardo Año.

The president said that the government, despite the fact that no cases of the variant have yet been recorded in the Philippines, should prepare by strengthening border control, surveillance and improving the follow-up of cases in other countries.

Vigilance is key

“The key here is vigilance. [That’s] the only way we can be prepared, not avoid. We can’t help it but [we must] Be prepared to face the new virus if we know in advance how you will progress as you enter our country, ”Duterte said.

On Sunday, authorities in Sulu and Basilan provinces tightened border control after a report that the variant had reached Sabah, Malaysia.

The report prompted Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan to request a maritime blockade at Jolo, as Sabah is only 29 hours away by boat.

President Duterte suggested the formation of a panel dedicated to the variant of the coronavirus.

“I would suggest that we create a panel … whose job it might just be to look at the different progression and identify the new strain,” he said.

The Philippines has seen an increase in coronavirus infections since the start of the Christmas season in mid-December.

On Sunday, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 883 additional infections, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country to 469,886.

The DOH reported that 7,635 more patients had been recovered, bringing the total number of COVID-19 survivors to 438,618. But the death toll rose to 9,109 with the death of 42 more patients.

Deaths and recoveries left the country with 22,099 active cases, of which 80.2 percent were mild, 9.9 percent asymptomatic, 0.43 moderate, 3.2 percent severe, and 6.2 percent critical. —REPORTS FROM NESTOR CORRALES, JEROME ANING, JULIE ALIPALA AND DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN

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What you need to know about the coronavirus.

For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

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