Foreign Affairs Sec. Against Idea Of Singapore Travel Ban Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
SINGAPORE TRAVEL BAN – Amidst the global outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), the Philippines had suggested a possible travel ban to Singapore, one of the most affected countries of the virus.
The global death toll for the coronavirus has now doubled that of the 2003 SARS outbreak. There were 1,765 fatalities in addition to 70,433 people being infected worldwide.
In Singapore, there had already been at least 67 confirmed. This led to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III floating the idea of a travel ban in the country amidst the COVID-19 spread.
However, he would have to take it up to the inter-agency task force whether or not the ban would be necessary. But, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. opposed this idea.
Duque then stated that he wanted very independent and objective parameters or criteria when making the assessment.
According to an article from Manila Bulletin, Locsin stated that the ban should not hang on the number of confirmed cases of the virus in Singapore. Instead, it should be based on how prepared a country is against the virus.
I will not support a travel ban to and from ASEAN Singapore. A ban should hinge not on the incidence and number of infections/fatalities but on the demonstrated capability of the state concerned to contain the disease and strictly regulate ingress and egress from its air/sea ports
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr | Twitter
Lacson stated that Singapore is more than capable of handling the virus. Currently, there are over 200,000 Filipinos residing in Singapore.
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