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China, 4 other countries included in travel ban vs new COVID-19 variant

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Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News 

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/01/12/20210102-health-coronavirus-china-wuhan.jpg' ><figcaption>Travelers use their mobile phones at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province, China Jan. 2, 2021. <em>Tingshu Wang, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Foreign travelers from China and 4 other territories will be banned from entering the Philippines to halt the spread of a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant, Malacañang said on Tuesday.</p><p>The expanded travel restrictions will apply to the following areas effective 12:01 noon of Jan. 13 until Jan. 15, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.</p><div> </div><ul>	<li>China</li>	<li>Pakistan</li>	<li>Jamaica</li>	<li>Luxembourg</li>	<li>Oman<br>	 </li></ul><p>"Filipinos coming from these territories can still come home, but subject to the absolute 14-day quarantine, kahit ano man po ang resulta ng kanilang (whatever the result of their) PCR test," he told reporters in an online briefing.</p><p>Beijing in early January had reported that a 23-year-old woman who arrived from the United Kingdom tested positive for the new COVID-19 strain first detected in UK.</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/04/21/coronavirus-chinese-student-found-to-have-new-variant-on-return-from-britain'>Coronavirus: Chinese student found to have new variant on return from Britain</a></li></ul><p>But China was not included in the expanded travel bans that Malacañang announced last Jan. 6.</p><p>"Kasi hindi pa po 'yan nare-report ng mga international agencies na kumpirmado. Ang alam lang po natin ay media reports," Roque reasoned.</p><p>"Kung mayroon namang confirmation, siyempre, isasali rin sila. As of now wala pang confirmation," he added.<br> <br>(That has not yet been reported by international agencies as confirmed. What we know are media reports. If there is a confirmation, of course they will be included. As of now, there is no confirmation yet.)</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/07/21/why-was-china-excluded-from-travel-ban'>Why was China excluded from travel ban?</a></li></ul><p>The Philippines has not yet detected a case of the new COVID-19 variant, which British scientists have named "VUI – 202012/01."</p><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/06/21/no-new-covid-variant-detected-in-ph-gene-sequencing-shows-doh'>No new COVID variant detected in PH, gene sequencing shows — DOH</a></li></ul><p>The variant includes a genetic mutation in the "spike" protein, which could theoretically result in <a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/06/21/new-variant-may-increase-philippines-covid-cases-15-fold-says-govt-adviser' target='_blank'>easier spread of COVID-19</a>.</p><p>The Philippines has tallied some 489,000 coronavirus infections.</p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/DV5zlF4deJQ?enablejsapi=1'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'><em>Video courtesy of PTV</em></div>

<p>Foreign travelers from China and 4 other territories will be banned from entering the Philippines to halt the spread of a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant, Malacañang said on Tuesday.</p><p> </p>

Foreign travelers from China and 4 other territories will be banned from entering the Philippines to halt the spread of a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

China, 4 other countries included in travel ban vs new COVID-19 variant

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China, 4 other countries included in travel ban vs new COVID-19 variant

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 12, 2021 01:58 PM PHT

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Updated January 12, 2021 02:32 PM PHT

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