Zamboanga City suspends all travel amid COVID-19 threat

Zamboanga City Mayor Isabelle Climaco has ordered the suspension of all land, sea, and air travel into the city effective March 16, 2020, until further notice, in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat.

The suspension, issued under Executive Order no. BC 552, will not impact the movement of goods and supplies, nor outgoing passenger trips from the city.

Passenger vessels, excluding cargo ships, are prohibited from entering the Zamboanga City seaport and finger wharves, especially those coming from Malaysia.

While cargo ships are permitted to unload, their officers and crew are forbidden from disembarking from March 15 to April 15.

Non-conventional vessels are strictly prohibited from docking and unloading passengers and cargo in any Zamboanga City seaport, wharf, or entry point.

In addition to travel restrictions, the mayor has also canceled public and private mass gatherings, jail visitations (except for food deliveries at the gate), and recreational visits to beaches and resorts.