Philippines Temporarily Suspends Arrival Tourist Visas For Chinese Citizens
03:03 GMT 28.01.2020(updated 03:34 GMT 28.01.2020)
The measure is reportedly aimed to stop the spread of a new Chinese coronavirus, dubbed 2019-nCoV, as fourteen people are already quarantined in the Philippines for suspected exposure to the deadly infection which has claimed at least 106 lives in China.
The Philippine Immigration Bureau on Tuesday temporarily stopped issuing the "visa upon arrival" (VUA) for Chinese citizens, amid the outbreak of a new virus strain.
"We are now temporarily suspending the issuance of VUA for Chinese nationals to slow down the influx of group tours", Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement, cited by CNN Philippines.
The national immigration watchdog has, however, reportedly clarified that there is no order imposed on stopping Chinese nationals from entering the Philippines.
The contagious virus - that has similar symptoms to an acute viral respiratory illness - reportedly continues to spread across the globe, with over 50 new cases registered in 14 countries as of 27 January.
Chinese authorities earlier on Tuesday estimated that over 4,500 people in mainland China have contracted the new strain of coronavirus.
Several countries, including Canada and the United States, have upgraded their travel advisories, urging tourists to reconsider trips to China and especially to avoid the Hubei province and the Chinese city of Wuhan, where a local fish market is reportedly believed to be the epicentre of the deadly decease.
© Sputnik
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