MANILA: A province of islands in the southern Philippines will seal itself off for an initial two weeks from Monday to keep out a new COVID-19 variant found in nearby Malaysia, its governor said.
Sulu, home to more than 900,000 people, currently has just two known active cases of the coronavirus, from 242 so far recorded, of which 12 were deaths.
“This is for securing our shores from the reported COVID-19 strain in Sabah, Malaysia considering we are so near,” Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan told ANC news channel on Thursday.
A top Malaysian health official last week it had found a new variant in the country, but had yet to detect the highly infectious variant that was originally discovered in Britain.
Sulu has requested the national government provide more vessels and helicopters to monitor its sea borders with Sabah in Malaysia.
The lockdown will be in place from Jan 4 to Jan 17 but could be extended, Tan said. Residents not currently on the islands would be denied entry from Monday. The Philippines has had more than 472,000 infections overall, among the highest caseloads in Southeast Asia, mostly in the capital Manila.
Despite strict entry and quarantine requirements on entry via its international airports, its vast southern sea borders are notoriously porous, with long established trade and travel routes between its islands and Sabah.
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“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” they wrote in a post on social media.
“Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” they added.
The statement came days after Danish and Greenlandic officials held talks in Washington over Trump’s bid to acquire the territory, without reaching agreement.
“The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland,” said the EU statement.
“Dialogue remains essential, and we are committed to building on the process begun already last week between the Kingdom of Denmark and the US.”
Philippine islands self-isolate after new COVID-19 variant found in Malaysia
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Philippine islands self-isolate after new COVID-19 variant found in Malaysia
- Sulu, home to more than 900,000 people, currently has just two known active cases of the coronavirus
- The lockdown will be in place from Jan 4 to Jan 17 but could be extended
EU warns against Trump’s tariffs threat over Greenland
- “Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” they wrote
- “Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty“
BRUSSELS: European Union leaders on Saturday warned against US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on European countries until he has achieved his purchase of Greenland.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, issued the joint statement hours after Trump threatened multiple European nations with tariffs of up to 25 percent.
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” they wrote in a post on social media.
“Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” they added.
The statement came days after Danish and Greenlandic officials held talks in Washington over Trump’s bid to acquire the territory, without reaching agreement.
“The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland,” said the EU statement.
“Dialogue remains essential, and we are committed to building on the process begun already last week between the Kingdom of Denmark and the US.”
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