Hong Kong bans flights from Philippines for 2 weeks

HONG KONG – Hong Kong will suspend flights from the Philippines, as well as India and Pakistan, from April 20 for two weeks after the N501Y mutant COVID-19 strain was detected in the Asian financial hub for the first time, authorities said in a statement late Sunday.

The three countries are now classified as “extremely high risk” after there had been multiple imported cases carrying the strain into Hong Kong in the past 14 days, the government said.

The ban, according to Philippine Overseas Employment Administration chief Bernard Olalia, would delay the deployment of about 1,300 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), mostly domestic helpers.

“Despite the temporary suspension, those who will have their overseas employment certificate issued will just have to wait for two weeks as (these) will remain valid,” Olalia said yesterday, adding that the agency would continue processing the documents for Hong Kong-bound OFWs.

Hong Kong reported 30 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, 29 of which were imported, marking the highest daily toll since March 15. It has recorded over 11,600 cases in total and 209 deaths.

Authorities have been urging residents to get vaccinated for coronavirus with only around nine percent of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents vaccinated so far.

The government last week widened the city’s vaccine scheme to include those aged between 16 to 29 years old for the first time, as they aim to boost a lackluster demand for inoculations among residents.

As this developed, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines cancelled their Manila-Hong Kong-Manila flights as Hong Kong authorities ramped up warnings of a potential surge in infections amid an ongoing investigation into the source of the strain’s introduction into the community.

PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said the carrier’s flights between Manila and Hong Kong are cancelled beginning today for the next two weeks.

Cebu Pacific also made the cancellation to comply with the Hong Kong government directive.

AirAsia spokesman Steve Dailisan said they have not resumed international flights, except for repatriation and chartered flights. He added that they are working on the vaccination of their frontliners – pilots, cabin crew, ground staff and those with direct engagements with guests.