Philippines: workers can return to Macau and Hong Kong

The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) lifts travel ban put in place to halt the Coronavirus outbreak.

Philippines.- The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has lifted travel restrictions for overseas workers allowing them to return to Macau and Hong Kong.

The ban had been put in place in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.

The announcement was made via a Tweet from the DFA Undersecretary, Bridigo Dulay.

The travel ban to mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, imposed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on February 2, left thousands of Filipino overseas workers stranded.

According to official numbers, at the end of last year there were 33,781 workers from the Philippines employed in Macau, mostly in casinos.

The epidemic has also led the Philippines to bar passengers who have been in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau over the past 14 days from entering the country.

This does not apply to Philippine nationals who were allowed to return to the country but were required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days.