MANILA, Philippines — Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente appealed to airline companies to help prevent the entry into the country of travelers who had recently visited China or its special administrative regions.
This developed after the Bureau of Immigration turned away on Friday 36 Chinese nationals who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, via a Philippine Airlines flight.
They were found to have come from Macau on Saturday last week. They were immediately booked on the first available flight back to Phnom Penh.
Under the travel ban imposed by the government, foreigners are not allowed to enter the country if they had been to China, Hong Kong or Macau in the last 14 days as a precaution against the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV).
Morente pointed out that airline companies should “do their share in implementing the travel ban and preventing the entry of foreigners from the areas of concern.”
He added that they had already instructed airlines, as well as shipping companies, “not to board passengers covered by the ban.”
Following this incident, Morente said they were studying the possibility of imposing fines on those who would violate the ban.
Immigration authorities have already turned back around 300 foreigners since the ban was imposed last week.
As an added measure, Morente said they now require both foreign and Filipino passengers to fill out their arrival cards. Previously, only foreigners were required to submit the arrival card while Filipinos only filled out embarkation cards.
He said this was so they could better assist the police and health personnel in tracking down passengers suspected of being exposed to the disease that has sickened more than 31,000 people in 25 countries.
As of Friday, the Department of Health is monitoring a total 215 persons for the disease.
In Hong Kong, the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong urged the faithful in the meantime to just view Masses online or pray on their own to prevent the coronavirus from further spreading.
In a notice signed by chancellor Fr. Lawrence Lee, parishioners were told to adopt in the meantime alternative modes of attending Sunday Masses “in order that gatherings involving a large number of people may be minimized.”
He, however, said that Sunday and weekday Masses in the special administrative region of China remain unchanged.
For those who still opt to attend Masses, they are required to wear face masks and to “keep some distance between themselves and others.”
“Singing is suspended (except for the ‘Alleluia’ and ‘The Mystery of Faith’),” Lee said.
He said the faithful could view Masses at www.catholic.org.hk and receive the Holy Communion “spiritually.”
There are at least 18 confirmed cases of the disease in Hong Kong.