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Philippines halts visa on arrival for Chinese travellers
Philippines’ government officials announced it will suspend the visa on arrival facility for all Chinese nationals with immediate effect.
The Duerte government hopes the measure will halt the spread of the coronavirus into the country.
More than 100 have so far died and nearly 5,000 people have contracted the virus.
It has also spread to multiple countries in Southeast Asia and beyond, including Singapore, Thailand, Nepal, Japan and South Korea.
"We are taking this proactive measure to slow down travel, and possibly help prevent the entry of the 2019-nCov," said Jaime Morente, Bureau of Immigration commissioner.
However Morente stressed that Chinese travellers are not banned from entering the Philippines.
Chinese nationals can still apply for visas at any Philippines embassy or consulate.
The VoA facility has been available since 2017 and valid for travellers under certain conditions such as for leisure tour groups and conference delegates.
China is the second largest source market to the Philippines with a market share of about 22% based on the latest inbound tourism data for 2019.
Malaysia has also responded to the growing risk of a pandemic by suspending visa applications from citizens resident in Wuhan and Hubei Province, where the virus strain originated.
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