Camiguin bans entry of visitors who’ve been to coronavirus-infected places

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—One of the country’s busiest tourist destinations has banned visitors with travel histories in countries with confirmed cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus.

Gov. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo issued the order on Feb. 7, imposing temporary restrictions on the entry of tourists, who had been to nCoV-infected places, in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

“Camiguin, as a tourist destination, is a potential hotspot for the infection,” Romualdo said in the order.

He added that restricting travel and movement of persons who’ve been to nCoV-infected areas “has been deemed effective” in preventing the spread of the virus.

The temporary travel ban covers both domestic and foreign tourists who have been in the last three months to China and other countries with confirmed nCoV cases.

Camiguin residents, who have been to China and other nCoV-hit countries, are required to go through 14-day quarantine and submit themselves for further medical tests, the order said.

It also instructed hotels, resorts, common carriers and other tourism-related establishments to inform would-be guests about the travel restrictions and “cancel and refund advance payments.”

Hotels and inns were also asked to require tourists to present entry cards issued by Camiguin’s provincial government.

Hotels, inns and other tourist establishments are required to submit a guests’ names every week to the provincial tourism office.

The order warned anyone who would refuse to cooperate of “investigation and applicable criminal prosecution.”

Last Jan. 27, the provincial government announced that a person who had been checked for the virus tested negative.

Last Jan. 31, the governor issued Executive Order No. 5 requiring visitors to reveal their travel histories before they were allowed inside the island province.

Romualdo said included in the restrictions are tourists who had just layovers in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

The provincial government had also activated an ncoV task force to prepare measures against the virus.

Edited by TSB