The Philippines has expanded its travel ban on travelers coming from areas affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in South Korea.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease imposed a travel ban on North Gyeongsang Province following the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases starting Wednesday, February 26.
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Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a media briefing that the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease will only allow permanent residents, overseas Filipino workers and students studying there to travel in the virus-stricken province.
However, according to Panelo, they are required to sign a declaration signifying their knowledge and understanding of the risk involved prior to their travel.
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Panelo added that the Interagency task force is set to conduct a risk assessment within 48 hours should they decide to expand the travel ban to other parts of South Korea.
As of February 26, South Korea reported 169 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number to 1,146 cases.
