MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday, March 4, that the Philippines will not impose a travel ban on Japan, Iran, Italy and Singapore for now amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

“Matapos mabigyan ng health risk assessment results ng ating TWG [technical working group] ng DOH, ang ating naging pasya ay hindi natin sila isasama sa travel ban. Nasa medium risk lang sila,” said DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III. (READ: Philippines considering travel bans to Japan, Italy, Iran)

(After the technical working group gave its health risk assesment, we decided to not impose travel ban on Iran. They are on medium risk.)

Duque said that they are using the following criteria for the inclusion of countries in travel bans: 

• Presence of local transmission
• Volume or number of cases
• Volume of travelers
• Capacity of the gov’t in our country to respond

As of Wednesday afternoon, Japan has 293 cases with 6 deaths nationwide; Singapore has 110 cases; Italy has 2,502 cases with 79 deaths; and Iran has 2,336 cases with 77 deaths.

According to Duque, aside from following a set of criteria in imposing travel bans, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) is considering the situation of a country with regard to potential placement in a “selective travel ban.”

“So depende talaga sa situation. At marami tayong mga criteria na ginagamit para maging maliwanag at may objective basis ng ating travel ban recommendation to the IATF,” Duque said.

(It depends on the situation. We have criteria to make things clearer and there objective basis of our travel ban recommendation to the IATF.)

No issuance of visa to Iranians

Duque also confirmed the report of DOH Undersectary Brigido Dulay on Tuesday, March 3, which said Department of Foreign Affairs had stopped issuing visas to Iranians arriving in the country. 

“I would like to ask them kung ano ‘yung naging basis (what the basis was). Ang alam ko lang ay dahil nga sa sinasabi sila ang may pinakamataas na case fatality rate at 7.3% (What I only know is that Iran has the highest fatality rate at 7.3%),” Duque said.  

Duque said that the case of Iran is an “outlier” because China’s fatality rate is at 3.8% – 4% in Hubei province and in Wuhan, and less than 1 % outside of these areas. 

“Most of the cases, 85% of cases in China is limited to Wuhan and Hubei province, 94% for the whole of China with reported cases. So mababa talaga (This is low). Outside of China, outside of Wubei and Wuhan, within China, mababa pa rin compared to Iran (this is lower compared to Iran).” Duque added. 

On Monday, March 2, the World Health Organization sent its first planeload of supplies – as well as doctors – to help fight the coronavirus in Iran, the second-worst hit country after China.

As of March 3, the Philippine government has imposed a travel ban to or from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Gyeongsang province in South Korea. Travel to these areas is out of the question for Filipinos, with the exception of OFWs, permanent resident card holders, and students. Travelers from these countries are also banned from entering the country. – Rappler.com