Sotto seeks temporary ban on foreigners coming from China

In this Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, photo, people line up outside a fever clinic at Wuhan Union Hospital in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei Province. The United States on Friday declared a public health emergency and took drastic steps to significantly restrict entry into the country because of a new virus that hit China and has spread to other nations. (Chinatopix via AP)

MANILA, Philippines —  Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Saturday appealed to Malacañang to impose a temporary travel restriction on foreigners coming from China where thousands had already been infected by the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (nCoV ARD).

“Travel restrictions should not only cover Chinese citizens since other nationalities have also been traveling to and from China,” Sotto said in a statement.

“Flights from China do not only have Chinese people aboard. There are other nationalities on these flights and they, too, should be barred from entering our country. The virus does not discriminate whom it will affect. It can affect anyone,” he added.

China has confirmed 9,692 confirmed cases of the virus infection in its mainland. The outbreak also reached some areas in Hong Kong, Macao, South Korea, Taiwan, and other countries.

The Philippines also reported its first confirmed case of the new virus after samples from a 38-year-old Chinese tourist tested positive for the virus.

/atm