Zamboanga bans all arrivals from Sabah with immediate effect

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Zamboanga City will close its borders today (Monday) to all land, sea and air transportation to protect residents from the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar issued Executive Order No. 552-2020 following the Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid-19 resolution calling for stronger measures against the spread of the virus.

Under the order, passenger vessels – especially those coming from Malaysia – are prohibited from disembarking passengers at the city’s seaport and finger wharves.

The city will allow cargo to be unloaded but officers and crew of the ships are prohibited from disembarking effective Sunday.

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Non-conventional vessels – according to the Maritime Industry Authority, these are generally ships below 500 gross tonnage or below 24 metres in length – are strictly prohibited from docking and unloading their passengers and cargo.

“It’s not community quarantine, it’s not lockdown, it’s suspension of travel to Zamboanga because that is the recommendation of the city health officer because the situation is very critical while we still have no cases of persons under investigation, let’s not wait for that to happen,” Salazar said. “We are asking for the understanding of everyone because the doctors are advising to limit the entry so that we have the period to distance,” she said.

A source said the reported Covid-19 positive cases in Sabah had something to do with the decision to suspend the weekly voyage from Sandakan to Zamboanga. Philippine Airlines (PAL) is also supposed to have its scheduled inaugural flight to Zamboanga on March 31.

PAL Malaysia Area Manager Gene Pauline Banzon said there had been inquiries from some confirmed passengers of possible flight cancellation in view of the number of coronavirus positive cases reported in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The first flight scheduled to depart Zamboanga International Airport (ZCIA) at 8.20am is fully booked while its return trip (Kota Kinabalu-Zamboanga ) is recording good response.

Despite rising fear of the virus now declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Gene Paul said some passengers rescheduled their Kuala Lumpur-Manila flights to later dates.

“PAL allows our valued passengers for rebooking of scheduled flights free of charge,” she added.

BIMP-EAGA Business Council Tawau Chairman Wong Thart Sin said the 35 plus members scheduled to visit Zamboanga City by the end of this month are monitoring the developments of Covid-19 cases in Zamboanga.

“We are happy to note that the Department of Health in Zamboanga City has not registered any positive coronavirus patient there,” he said adding the Sabah delegation is very much health conscious.

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So far, Wong said none of its members cancelled their trip to the Covid-19 free Zamboanga.

“We will observe the Covid-19 developments in Zamboanga and will make our final decision either to postpone or proceed with the trip on March 20,” Wong said.

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