FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) suspended flights to and from London until the end of February 2021, in compliance with the Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) order restricting inbound travel from the UK beginning December 24 until December 31, 2020.
Before this latest IATF Resolution, PAL had been serving the Manila-London-Manila route once a week.
Meanwhile, the closure of the UK to international flights has suspended the departure of Filipino nurses and caregivers, as England was struck by a new strain of Covid-19, which is running out of control, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Forty other countries across the world have also banned flights going into the UK, including France, which sealed all its borders with the UK and banned all land, sea and air routes to that country.
However, the ban is temporary but will depend on the number of measures the UK government is taking to control the new virus with a Tier 4 lockdown on many parts of the UK.
Thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are also affected by the ban by Saudi Arabia on all international flights to the country, according to recruitment consultant Manny Geslani.
He said OFWs scheduled to depart for Riyadh have been advised by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO Riyadh) to wait until the Saudi government lifts the ban.
Many Balik-Manggagawa who were scheduled to leave for Manila for vacations or renewal of their contracts were also told to return to their jobsites, or their employers were asked to provide housing for the workers till the Saudi government lifts the ban, Geslani added.
Saudi Arabia banned all international flights and closed its borders over fears about the fast-spreading new strain of Covid-19, starting December 22, 2020.
The closure will last one week.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the kingdom may extend the suspension for another week depending on the nature of the virus spread.
The Saudi decision followed the UK warning that a new strain of the coronavirus is “out of control.”
Other countries in the region like Kuwait have also followed the action of the Saudi government. Other Middle East countries may also ban international flights, especially those coming from the UK and Europe.
PAL offers options
PAL said passengers of its cancelled flights to and from the UK may rebook on the next available flights, waiving rebooking service fees.
“They may also refund the cost of their ticket with refunding service fees waived. A third available option is the conversion of the PAL ticket into a Travel Voucher for future use,” said PAL Spokesman Cielo Villaluna.
“We are monitoring the situation in the UK. As we keep a close watch on this evolving situation, it is in the best interest of all to suspend flights on the route.”
PAL said appropriate announcements will be made as developments unfold, adding the carrier supports all measures that seek to curb any potential increase in Covid-19 cases during the holiday season and beyond.
PHL halts UK flights
Malacañang on Wednesday said in a news statement that the temporary suspension will take effect starting December 24 (today) 12:01 am until December 31.
The temporary suspension of flights from the UK was approved by President Duterte and the IATF following the recommendation of the Department of Health.
According to Resolution 90 of the IATF, the Department of Health received reports on a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 spreading in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said all passengers who have been in the UK within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, including those merely in transit, are also temporarily restricted from entering the country for the same period.
On the other hand, passengers already in transit from the UK and all those who have been to the UK within 14 days immediately preceding arrival to the Philippines, who arrive before 12:01 a.m. of December 24, 2020, shall not be subject to entry restriction but will be required to undergo stricter quarantine and testing protocols. These include the observation of an absolute 14-day quarantine period at the Athletes’ Village in the New Clark City, notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR test result.
Outbound travel to the UK shall likewise be subject to the existing exit protocols of the Philippines and the UK, Roque said.
The Department of Health had earlier said no new variant of the coronavirus has been detected in the country, but it assured the public it is closely monitoring the situation.
Officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) have also allayed concerns over the new coronavirus strain, saying this is a “normal part of virus evolution,” according to international reports.
The WHO also said the new strain of the virus in the UK is reported to be more infectious but there’s no evidence that it is more deadly.
Officials from the UK have also informed the WHO that Covid-19 vaccines appear to be effective against the new strain but there is still a need to conduct more research.
Prime Minister Johnson has also imposed tougher restrictions in London and Southeast England to curb the spread of the new strain.
Johnson said the new strain may be up to 70 percent more transmissible than the original version of the disease.