Duterte expands COVID-19 travel ban to 20 countries

President Rodrigo Duterte has expanded the travel ban to 20 countries where a more infectious strain of COVID-19 has been detected.

This ban, which initially covered only the United Kingdom, now includes Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Israel, Lebanon, Canada, South Africa, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Ireland, The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Australia, France, and Iceland.

The ban on foreigners takes effect on December 30 and will continue until January 15.

Filipino citizens arriving from these areas will still be subject to mandatory 14-day facility-based quarantine.

The Presidential Palace initially had a travel ban announcement for the wider scope of countries on Facebook, but it was deleted shortly after.

The travel ban was initially only "highly recommended" by an inter-agency task force (IATF) comprised of Cabinet officials and the Department of Health.

President Duterte is concerned about returning migrant Filipino workers and wants them to be allowed to come home.