By J. Jala | 04:14 PM February 26, 2020
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said on Wednesday that the Philippines will impose a ban on travelers coming from the North Gyeongsang province of South Korea due to COVID-19 outbreak.
He also said that the Philippine government imposed a temporary ban on Filipino tourists going there.
The interim travel restriction was imposed as a protective measure against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which cases spiked white rapidly in South Korea in the past few days.
Filipinos residing in South Korea and those who study and work there are exempted from the ban, provided that they sign a declaration signifying their knowledge of the risks of traveling to that country.
As of Tuesday, 10 people had died of COVID-19 and at least 977 had been infected with it in South Korea, making it the worst-hit nation other than China.
About 60% of those infected are members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, based in Daegu, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, according to Agence France-Presse and The Guardian.
