Press Release No. 151-03
9 April 2003

DFA issues stronger travel advisory VS unnecessary travel to HK, Guangdong

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs to issue a stronger travel advisory to discourage all unnecessary travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong Province in view of the rising number of SARS cases.

Ople said the new travel advisory is in line with the World Health Organization’s recommendation that persons traveling to Hong Kong SAR and Guangdong Province, China should consider postponing all but essential travel.

The Department of Foreign Affairs also recommended for implementation by the Department of Labor and Employment a temporary ban on the sending of overseas Filipino workers to Hong Kong and Guangdong Province in line with the said WHO notice for at least one month.

“Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon and I have agreed not to impose a total ban on all travel to Hong Kong as of yet, given the possible effects on our travel industry. But we are closely monitoring the situation there and in other parts of the world where SARS continues to spread,” Ople added.

According to Philippine Consul General Victoria Bataclan, she may recommend a ban on all travelers to Hong Kong for the consideration of the national government once the number of SARS patients rise to more than a thousand with an increase in the number of fatalities.

Ople cited fears of a second Amoy-Gardens type outbreak in Hong Kong after 30 people from another public housing estate in Kowloon Bay were confirmed as having the virus. The Amoy Gardens apartments have recorded at least 283 cases of SARS. According to health officials, there were 30 new cases at Kowloon Bay housing estate which house around 10,000 residents.

The number of SARS victims in Hong Kong have reached 928, 665 of who are in various hospitals with 138 patients recently discharged.

According to the WHO website, there are 2,671 SARS cases with 103 deaths reported from 17 countries. This represents an increase of 70 cases and 5 deaths when compared with the April 7 update.

Malaysia has stopped issuing entry visas to most Chinese travelers to curb SARS. Malaysia has one known case of SARS. (End)