Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 29) — Preparations are being made to prevent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his delegation from catching COVID-19 during their trip to China next week, and potentially contributing to an increase in cases in the Philippines, a foreign affairs official said on Thursday.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Imperial said they have received an assurance from China that all arrangements are being made to ensure their safety during Marcos’ state visit to the country, which is battling a fresh surge in infections.
“Every precaution is being undertaken to ensure that the delegation is not infected and does not bring back to the Philippines the new variants of the virus,” Imperial told reporters during a Malacañang briefing,
Marcos will be in Beijing from Jan. 3 to 5 upon the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
It will be his first bilateral visit to a non-Southeast Asian country since assuming the presidency in July, and the second time he will meet face-to-face with Xi in less than two months after their November meeting in Thailand during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.
According to the DFA, a “bubble arrangement” has been agreed upon to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
The President is expected to travel with several Cabinet officials and Filipino business leaders during his trip, where numerous bilateral agreements and business deals are set to be signed.
The DFA said Marcos will also be joined by his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos, his cousin House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and House Deputy Speaker and former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, among others.
“All arrangements are made for every possible scenario,” Imperial said. “If a person tests positive, he’s supposed to isolate, and of course, that person cannot join the flight of the president.”
Imperial added that only those who have tested negative for COVID-19 will be allowed to return home.
Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, Marcos will not meet with the Filipino community in China — something he usually does when he is in an official overseas trip.
“We have to follow the COVID protocols there in China, so there cannot be any big gatherings,” Imperial pointed out.
