Tugon ito ng Palasyo sa panawagan ng Taiwan na bawiin na ang travel ban dahil maayos naman nilang tinutugunan ang problema sa 2019-novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD).
Ayon kay Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, nakaaangkla ang desisyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa rekomendasyon ng WHO at Department of Health (DOH).
“The travel ban, I understand, that included China was on the basis of the World Health Organization including Taiwan as part of China. But since there is a ban on China, necessarily, Taiwan being part of China is included. And we always follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization. So if the World Health Organization says there is a need for lifting of the ban in any part of those already announced to have travel ban, then we will suppose to do so,” ayon kay Panelo.
Sinabi pa ni Panelo na kaya pinaiiral ng pangulo ang travel ban dahil inaalala rin nito ang kaligtasan ng mga Filipino.
Pero ayon kay WHO representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe, hindi nagrerekomenda ang WHO ng travel ban kaugnay sa novel coronavirus.