THE Philippine government on Sunday said it had suspended inbound international flights for a week starting May 3 to decongest local quarantine facilities for the coronavirus.

“The move is deemed necessary in order to ensure that our country will not experience a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the increasing number of international passenger arrivals,” the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said in a Viber group message.

The agency noted that most Filipino workers who have returned came from countries with serious outbreaks of the coronavirus disease 2019.

The flight restriction would also allow the government’s frontline agencies against COVID-19 to upgrade their testing and screening protocols and expand existing quarantine and treatment facilities, DoTr said.

The agency said the National Task Force against COVID-19 had asked it to enforce the temporary measure.

About 20,000 Filipino workers from overseas were undergoing mandatory quarantine in Metro Manila.

The coronavirus disease 2019 has sickened 3.5 million and killed more than 244,000 people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization.

About 1.1 million people have recovered from the virus, it said.

Almost two-thirds of the world’s 26,000 passenger aircraft have been grounded, and about 25 million jobs were at risk, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Carriers face a $314-billion shortfall in ticket sales this year, and half of them face bankruptcy in two to three months without government help, it said.

The Manila International Airport Authority, which is under DoTR, on Saturday night said the restriction applied to both inbound and outbound passenger flights, but DoTr issued a correction yesterday afternoon that it only covered inbound international passenger flights.

The restriction exempts emergencies while en route, cargo flights, those involving air ambulance and medical supplies, weather mitigation and maintenance flights, DoTr said in the first advisory, citing Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., chief enforcer of the government’s anti-COVID-19 efforts.

“Also allowed to continue are sweeper flights for foreign nationals repatriating back to their respective countries,” according to a copy of the original statement.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte locked down the entire Luzon island on March 17, suspending work, classes and public transportation to contain the outbreak.

The government had allowed since March 17 the entry and exit of Filipino workers, their foreign spouses and children; accredited foreign government and international organization officials; and foreign airline crew members.

There were 24 international arrivals and departures at the NAIA Terminal 1 on May 1 by Etihad Airways, Hong Kong Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Eva Air, Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Saudia Airlines, China Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Korean Airlines and Asiana Airlines. These went down to 12 a day later.

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) seeking to avail themselves of the government’s repatriation program should stay put while the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) adjusts its procedures according to the latest rules.

“Repatriation efforts are being adjusted to comply with the directives of the National Task Force on COVID-19,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Martin R. Meñez said in a group message yesterday. “OFWs will remain where they are in the meantime.”

“For those who may already be at airports, they will be assisted as best possible under the circumstances,” Mr. Meñez said.

The new rules won’t affect flights that were already bound for the Philippines, he added.

DFA has been facilitating the return of migrant workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Meñez said 24,422 Filipino workers who are mostly sailors have come home.

The agency said 1,741 Filipino workers abroad have been infected — 1,069 were being treated, 465 have recovered and 207 have died.

Also yesterday, flag carrier Philippine Airlines said it had canceled its special passenger flights from the US to Manila, departing on May 4 to May 8.

“If you are previously booked on any of the canceled flights, we will endeavor to rebook you to another special flight operating after the airport closure period,” it said in a statement. “All such flights are subject to government approvals.” — Arjay L. Balinbin and Charmaine A. Tadalan

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