THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced the extended travel ban including Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) starting May 15.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said they received an order from Malacañang extending the ongoing temporary travel ban for travelers coming from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka until May 31, 2021.
“Following said order, those coming from Oman and UAE will temporarily be barred as well, until the end of the month,” said Morente. “Those who will be coming from, or have a travel history within the last 14 days from the seven countries will be excluded and sent back to their port of origin."
BI Port Operations Division Chief Carlos Capulong said they are not expecting anyone coming from said countries as airlines were instructed not to allow the boarding of passengers prohibited from entering unless they are part of repatriation efforts of the national government.
Capulong clarified that those who will be merely transiting through the said region will be allowed to enter.
“Transiting would mean that they did not leave the airport terminal, were not cleared by immigration authorities, and are just there for a layover,” he stated.
The flight ban was implemented to stop the entry of the new Covid-19 variant from India.