Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 7) — The municipality of Malay, where the world-famous Boracay Island is located, has suspended the entry of all visitors and tourists with history of travel from China, Hong Kong, and Macau in the past 14 days due to the threat of novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV.
Malay, Aklan acting Mayor Frolibar Bautista issued the executive order on Thursday as a precautionary measure to ensure the municipality will remain free of the deadly virus.
Border patrols will be deployed to the boundaries of Malay to check passengers’ travel history, especially tourists. Bautista advised all travelers to prepare their IDs and passports for faster processing.
President Rodrigo Duterte on February 2 temporarily banned travelers from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau due to the rising number of 2019-nCoV cases in these areas. Filipinos and foreign nationals carrying permanent resident visas to the country are excluded from the travel ban.
The World Health Organization said that it is wrong to impose a blanket travel ban to and from China amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The WHO called on countries not to impose travel and trade restrictions over the new coronavirus, citing that this may only increase the “fear and stigma” within the international community.
