Manila ups safeguards over virus variant
MANILA: The Philippines yesterday extended by two weeks a ban on travellers from more than 30 territories and countries where a more transmissible Covid-19 variant has been detected, with the restriction also now covering Filipinos who want to come home.
The country, which has recorded its first case of a new variant that was first found in Britain, has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases and casualties in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia.
The flight ban, which has been expanded from the initial 19 countries and territories and was initially imposed for two weeks until Jan 15, will now be in effect until Jan 31, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.
The prohibition also now covers travellers from China starting Jan 13, and the United States beginning Jan 3.
While the British variant was found to be nearly 70% more transmissible than the original one, there is no evidence yet that it is more dangerous.
The flight ban now covers all travellers coming from or transiting through the flagged countries, which also include Japan, Australia, Israel, Hong Kong, France, Germany and Italy, the statement said.
Previously Filipinos from those areas were allowed to come home on condition that they underwent a 14-day quarantine in a government-designated isolation facility.
Mr Roque said exemptions to the entry restrictions may be issued by the government’s coronavirus task force.
Meanwhile, the Philippines has approved Pfizer Inc-BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccine, the first to be allowed for emergency use in the nation.
The Food and Drug Administration found that Pfizer’s vaccine may be effective to prevent, diagnose or treat Covid-19, and can be used for individuals age 16 years old and up, its head Eric Domingo said in a virtual briefing. The vaccine maker will provide cold storage and transport the shots to inoculation sites, he added.
Sinovac Biotech Ltd applied for a similar authority on Wednesday, and the regulator will ask for more clinical trial reports, Mr Domingo said. While regulators have yet to approve the Chinese vaccine, the Philippines has said it will buy 25 million vaccine doses from Sinovac, expecting the first shipment to arrive as early as next month.
The Philippine government, along with private companies and local officials, on Thursday also signed a deal with AstraZeneca Plc which will secure an additional 14.4 million doses.