MANILA: The Philippines has extended its travel ban for all inbound travellers from India and nine other countries to Aug 31 as Delta variant cases rise across the country, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday.
The Delta variant has spread in the Philippines, where 627 cases have been reported, including 11 deaths.
According to Xinhua, apart from India where the Delta variant was first detected, the Philippines also banned travellers from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, where the variant has spread.
However, the country allows returning overseas Filipino workers under its repatriation programme, but they will have to be isolated for 14 days upon arrival.
The Philippines is grappling with soaring Covid-19 infections fuelled by the highly transmissible Delta variant, prompting the government to reimpose a hard lockdown in Metro Manila and other regions.
The Philippines now has more than 1.7 million confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 29,539 deaths. — Bernama
Source: New Straits Times
