MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang announced Tuesday (January 12) that the Philippine government is expanding its travel ban to include China and four other countries amid threats of a new coronavirus (COVID-19) variant.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that apart from China, travelers from Pakistan, Jamaica, Luxembourg and Oman are also not allowed to enter the country starting Wednesday (January 13) to Friday (January 15).

The expansion of travel restriction is part of the country’s measures to prevent the entry of new variants of coronavirus that were initially reported affecting residents in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

With five additional nations on the list, the Philippines so far has banned flights to and from 33 countries.

READ: PH expands entry restrictions, bans travelers from the US effective Jan. 3

However, the government clarified that Filipinos coming from the said countries may be allowed entry subject to a 14-day absolute facility-based quarantine period. MNP (with reports from Rosalie Coz)

In his opening remarks at the Climate Ambition Summit on Saturday (December 12), United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a worldwide declaration of “state of climate emergency.” 

Such a declaration, Guterres said, is to address the impact of global warming.

The Secretary General noted that currently the world is 1.2 degrees hotter than before the industrial revolution. 

“If we don’t change course, we may be headed for a catastrophic temperature rise of more than 3 degrees this century. Can anybody still deny that we are facing a dramatic emergency?,” he said.

“That is why today, I call on all leaders worldwide to declare a State of Climate Emergency in their countries until carbon neutrality is reached,” he added.

The central objective of the UN in 2021, he said, will be to build a truly global coalition for carbon neutrality by the middle of the century.

The UN official said global economic policies and finance must be aligned with the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Thus, it is time to put a price on carbon and phase out fossil fuel finance and end fossil fuel subsidies.

He also suggested ending the construction of new coal power plants and shifting the tax burden from income to carbon, from taxpayers to polluters.

Also, Guterres calls on nations to make climate-related financial risk disclosures mandatory and to integrate the goal of carbon neutrality into all economic and fiscal policies and decisions.

On a positive note, the Secretary General commended several countries who have started to reduce carbon emissions while some 38 countries have already declared the state of climate emergency realizing the urgency.

“I urge everyone to show ambition, stop the assault on our planet,” he said.

“Do what we need to guarantee the future of our children and grandchildren,” he said.

MANILA, Philippines — Secretary General Antonio Guterres of the United Nations (UN) is calling for a global ceasefire so that nations can focus on their respective responses to the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

This was the official’s call at the opening of the first virtual UN General Assembly on September 22.

Guterres did not mention the countries concerned but he stressed on the need to stop a potential cold war among nations. 

“Now is the time for a collective new push for peace and reconciliation. And so I appeal for a stepped-up international effort led by the security council to achieve a global ceasefire by the end of this year,” he said.

The UN General Assembly emanates from UN’s general headquarters in New York coinciding with the international body’s 75th anniversary.