No people at CRK’s immigration area. Contributed Photo
CLARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – Other than the 14 passengers that were not allowed entry here on Sunday and returned to Hong Kong the following day as well as some cancelled flights, everything here is “business as usual.”
This was the observation Tuesday of Teri Flores, spokesperson of the Luzon International Premiere Airport Development (Lipad) which operates and maintains this airport.
Flores said following the directive of Malacañang with the safety of the country and all persons within our territory as prime considerations, President Duterte immediately approved temporarily banning the entry of any person, regardless of nationality, except Filipino citizens and holders of permanent resident visa issued by the Philippine government, directly coming from China and its Special Administrative Regions.
Flores said the 14 passengers were retained on hold at the airport on Sunday as they were not allowed to pass by immigration. They were returned to Hong Kong on Monday via Cathay Dragon flight, she added.
Flores also confirmed that China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Air and Cebu Pacific have also cancelled their flights.
In a travel advisory on February 2, Air Asia also suspended its flights between the Philippines and China.
Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea said President Duterte issued a directive on January 31, on the containment and neutralization of the spread of the novel coronavirus. The directive was made immediately after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved and recommended the adoption of guidelines for the management of the Wuhan coronavirus or more aptly: 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease Situation. The directive also orders the implementation of a mandatory 14-day quarantine for Filipinos and Permanent Resident Visa holders coming from any place in China and its Special Administrative Regions as well as temporary ban on Filipinos from travel to China and its Special Administrative Regions; and the establishment of a repatriation and quarantine facility.
The AFP, PNP and law enforcement agencies are all on standby and have been directed to give the necessary assistance to ensure the implementation of the directive to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone. The task force created by the president’s directive was also given the authority, if necessary, to ban the entry of travelers from other areas with confirmed widespread Wuhan coronavirus.
For clarity, the ban is on the person of any nationality except that of Filipinos particularly specified by the directive.
The directive reiterates the advice of the DOH to the public to observe strictly the measures undertaken on personal hygiene like regularly washing the hands and wearing surgical masks when going around crowded areas.
