The Philippines will shut its borders to foreigners and Filipinos who are not overseas workers to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases, the National Task Force against the pandemic said.
The entry ban will run from 12:01 a.m. of March 20 to April 19, the NTF said in a memorandum. It cited the detection of highly contagious COVID variants in the country.
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Health Secretary Francisco Duque had warned that unless the surge is capped, COVID cases surpass the peak recorded in 2020, when the health system was pushed to the brink. On Tuesday, new cases topped 4,000 for the fifth straight day.
The following are exempted from the ban, according to the NTF.
- Holders of 9(C) visas (seafarers)
- Medical repatriation and their escorts endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs or the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
- Distressed ROFs endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs
- Emergency and humanitarian cases
