Malacañang confirmed that Filipinos can now travel to South Korea, except North Gyeongsang province, including Daegu City and Cheongdo County, which is considered the center of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) of the said country.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the decision was agreed upon during the ninth meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. However, travelers from North Gyeongsang province are not yet allowed to enter the Philippines.
The Palace also shared that repatriation is being prepared for 148 Filipinos, together with 48 active members of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Macau. The government has the situation under control.
Meanwhile, During the Cabinet meeting, DOH Sec. Francisco Duque III presented measures to stop the spread of the disease.
“Sec. Duque summarized the government’s response to COVID-19 as follows: Incident management, planning and multi-sectorial coordination; surveillance and risk assessment; laboratory and diagnostic capacity; clinical best practice management; successful repatriation of all 49 Filipinos from Wuhan; positioned resources such as protective equipment; risk communication and community engagement; imposition of travel ban on China, Hong Kong, Macau, and selected areas in Korea; and operational logistics,” Panelo added. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
