Philippines: Travel ban extended; steps up safeguards over Covid-19 variant as total cases tops 496,000

A passenger wearing a face mask and face shield for protection against the coronavirus disease walks towards a counter in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. - Reuters

MANILA, Jan 15 (Reuters): The Philippines on Friday extended by two weeks a ban on travellers from more than 30 territories and countries where a more transmissible Covid-19 variant has been detected, with the restriction also now covering Filipinos who want to come home. And apart from the 30 earlier countries - travellers from Hungary and UAE have been added to list.

The South-East Asian country, which has recorded its first case of a new variant that was first found in Britain, has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases and casualties in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia.