Staff writer, with CNAA clearer picture emerged on Saturday of the roles played by the government, and business and labor groups to convince the Philippines to lift its travel ban on Taiwan on Friday. “Healthcare should be beyond the realm of politics,” Banayo wrote, adding that COVID-19 is “well-controlled and effectively managed” in Taiwan. The travel ban also received significant pushback from commercial and labor groups. Taiwan is the fifth-largest source of tourists for the Philippines and the nation’s inclusion in the travel ban was met with apprehension over lost revenue. Manila on Friday announced that it was lifting the travel ban on Taiwan following a risk assessment, a decision based on the “strict measures ... and protocols” Taiwan’s government has implemented to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Source: Taipei Times February 17, 2020 15:56 UTC