PH extends travel ban to 10 countries until Sept. 5

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has extended travel restrictions on inbound travelers coming from 10 countries September 5, 2021, Malacañang announced Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte approved the extension of travel bans imposed on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

“These travel restrictions form part of the pro-active measures to slow down the rising number of COVID-19 cases, stop further spread of variants, and increase the country’s existing healthcare capacity,” Roque said in a statement.

The travel restrictions were supposed to lapse on Tuesday, August 31.

The government earlier imposed these restrictions to prevent the entry of the COVID-19 double-mutant Delta variant first detected in India.

So far, Philippine health authorities have detected a total of 1,789 cases of the Delta variant in the country.

The World Health Organization said the highly contagious Delta variant is now the most dominant variant in the Philippines, confirming community transmission of it here.

The Department of Health earlier said seven out of 10 of the latest COVID-19 cases were found to be of the highly transmissible variant.