IATF to discuss proposed travel ban on India

This file photo shows a meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on January 13, 2021. RICHARD MADELO/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Among the topics that the government’s task force against COVID-19 will discuss during its meeting today, April 27, is the proposed imposition of a travel ban on India, which has been seeing aggressive virus resurgence amid the discovery of the so-called double-mutant variant in the South Asian nation.

Malacañang disclosed this Tuesday as the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is set to convene to mainly deliberate on what must be the next quarantine classification for NCR Plus and other areas starting May 1.

“‘Yan po ay pinag-aaralan at tatalakayin din sa IATF (That is being studied and will be discussed in the IATF meeting),” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing when asked if the task force will adopt a possible travel ban on flights to and from India.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier revealed that initials talks about a travel ban on India were being made by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The double-mutant variant — formally named B.1.617 — has so far reached six countries but is yet to be detected in the Philippines, according to DOH.

The new SARS-CoV-2 variant was first detected in October 2020.

To date, the variants detected in the Philippines are those that were first discovered in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil.

The Philippines breached the one million mark of confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, April 26.

The country’s total new coronavirus cases of 1,006,428 includes 74,623 active cases, 914,952 recovered patients, and 16,853 deaths.

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