COVID-19: Philippines extends ban on travellers from seven countries including India

The Philippines government has extended the ban from seven nations including India until June 15 considering the COVID-19 situation in the respective countries and to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 variant, B.1.617. As per news agency ANI, the Philippines government on May 31 announced the extension of the barring inbound travellers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

As per Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte approved the extension of the COVID-19 restrictions on the passengers from those seven nations on the recommendation of the national task force against the coronavirus. In a series of announcements throughout late April to mid-May, the country initially had barred the entry of travellers from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates until May 31 until the extension was announced.

The latest measures by the Philippines are taken in the wake of the B.1.617 “double mutant” variant of the novel coronavirus that was first detected in India. Despite imposing the restrictions, the country confirmed its first two cases of the variant on May 11 among overseas Filipinos who had no travel history from India. Since then, the Philippines has detected a total of 13 people infected with the B.1.617 variant. As per the country’s health department, it has also confirmed at least 1,071 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant dominant in the UK and 1,246 cases of the B.1.351 variant first discovered in South Africa.

WHO on diagnostics to tackle B.1.617

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this month said that the COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics “continue to be effective” against the B.1.617 variant of the novel coronavirus which was first discovered in India. WHO representative to India, Dr Roderico H Ofrin said that based on the present information of the SARS-CoV-2, that causes COVID-19 and its ‘double mutant’ variant, the existing treatments are able to neutralise the pathogen. Recently, the variant identified in India has been classified as a variant of global concern with some initial studies showing that it is more infectious and spreads more easily.

"Based on what WHO knows so far as per discussions with experts globally, vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics continue to be effective against B.1.617 variant (of COVID-19), which WHO has classified as a variant of concern," WHO Representative to India, Dr Roderico H Ofrin as quoted by ANI.

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