Virus fears see Filipinos shun foreign travel despite lifting of ban

MANILA: Filipinos worried about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic remain reluctant to travel abroad despite the lifting of a ban on nonessential foreign trips, Philippine officials revealed on Thursday.

The government decided on Wednesday to ease travel restrictions in a bid to bolster the country’s economy, which slipped into recession in the second quarter of the year following months of lockdown to stop the spread of the virus.