COVID-19 ALERT 14 | Temporary Suspension of Usage of All PH International Airports for Inbound International Passenger Flights
04 May 2020
TO OUR VALUED PRINCIPALS & INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Good day!
We hope all of your loved ones are safe and healthy.
To give you an update, Philippines Department of Transportation (DOTr) accedes to the decision of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 to temporarily suspend the use of all international airports in the Philippines effective 0800H of yesterday, 03 May 2020 until 09 May 2020 for international inbound passenger flights, except en route emergencies.
The said temporary measure was made for the following reasons:
- in order to allow the current system of the Philippines to ramp up its capacity to properly process the growing number of Filipino repatriates going back to the country daily (around 20,000 OFWs in total, arrival rate of 2,000 OFWs per day);
- to enable the Philippine government to decongest the processing of the above-mentioned numbers to a more manageable level, given the need to observe strict health protocols, and the fact that existing quarantine facilities are at full capacity;
- in order to ensure that the Philippines will not experience a second wave of COVID-19 pandemic due to the increasing number of international passenger flights;
- to allow the government’s front line agencies that are tasked to contain the spread of the COVID-19 to upgrade their testing and screening protocols, and expand the existing quarantine and treatment facilities and ensure a more comfortable quarantine arrangements for our repatriated OFWs.
We will keep you in the loop for any updates our government will release in the coming days.