Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete (Photo: pna.gov.ph)Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines will soon put into use an integratedsystem for sharing information of air passengers between airlines andgovernment agencies to cut delays in tracing people suspected of being infectedwith the coronavirus (2019-nCoV), according to the country’s Department ofJustice.
Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said the Bureau ofImmigration (BI)’s Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) would help thegovernment with leads on the whereabouts of passengers in a flight in case theyneed to be contacted.
The system requires airlines to provide the BI with passengers’ detailedinformation before they arrive at terminals, he said, adding the informationwill be useful, especially in contact tracing efforts.
The two confirmed nCoV cases in the Philippines, whotraveled from China’s Wuhan via Hong Kong and then to Cebu, Dumaguete andManila on board Cebu Pacific and the Philippine Airlines flights, have promptedthe government’s efforts to trace people they had contact with, includingpassengers seated near them during the flights.
As of February 7, the health department reported that the number of personsunder investigation for possible infection of nCoV has gone up to 215.
The same day, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah said Malaysia has noplans yet to ban Chinese tourists, explaining the World Health Organisation has not given that guideline and Malaysia doesnot want to create public panic.
Meanwhile, immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud saidtourists from China unable to return home due to flight cancellations over thenovel virus outbreak will be issued with a special pass to extend their stay inMalaysia.
He said the pass allows for a 14- or 30-day stay in the country, based onrespective departure flight dates.
While in Singapore, the organiser of the Singapore Airshow, Experia Events,said the show will proceed as planned from February 11-16, with precautions inplace to safeguard well-being and safety of attendees, amidst the heightenedalert level of the coronavirus in the country./.
VNA
