BI warns public vs fake flight info amid COVID-19

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is urging the public to stop spreading false information about airline flights during the COVID-2019 pandemic.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente clarified that the restrictions are on people from certain areas, not on all flights, with some flights to and from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and South Korea still allowed for exempted passengers.

Exempted individuals include Filipinos, their spouses and children, holders of Philippine permanent resident visas, and members of the diplomatic corps.

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) heading to Mainland China, excluding Hubei province and Wuhan City, are permitted to depart after signing an undertaking acknowledging travel risks.

Expanded travel restrictions are now in place for Iran and Italy, requiring arriving passengers to present a medical certificate issued within the last 48 hours indicating they are COVID-2019-free.

Morente emphasized that restrictions are based on travel patterns from areas of concern, not nationality, and that foreigners from these areas will be denied entry regardless of their origin.

He cited an example of a Xiamen Air flight on March 10 that carried only a Filipino citizen and three permanent residents, who were all exempted from the ban.