MANILA, Philippines – The government of Zamboanga City is looking to implement a travel restriction for passengers coming from Sabah, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa) areas amid reported cases of a new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) variant.
Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco said she has requested for a meeting with the city council to discuss the possibility of issuing a resolution on the proposed travel suspension.
Climaco said the proposal follows the reported case of a new COVID-19 variant in Sabah, which is only a few hours away from Zamboanga City.
“We requested the Sangguniang Panglungsod to call for an emergency meeting for a resolution in order to have a moratorium of travel to Basulta and Tawi-Tawi, as well as Sabah,” she said.
The mayor further stated that the Philippine Navy has deployed three additional ships to Sitangkai Island in Tawi-Tawi, which is near Sabah, to monitor the area and prevent any passenger vessels from entering Zamboanga and BaSulTa areas.
Apprehended passengers and vessels will be turned over to their respective local government units to undergo a quarantine period, according to Climaco. – RRD (with details from Correspondent Lalaine Moreno)
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