Coronavirus: hundreds of domestic helpers unable to fly to Hong Kong after travel ban by Philippines, agencies say

Manila issued a sweeping travel ban on Sunday to prevent spread of deadly new coronavirus

About 200 to 300 domestic workers are estimated to be affected, according to head of employers’ association

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Under the temporary measures, domestic helpers in Hong Kong will be quarantined if they return to the Philippines. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 7:25pm, 3 Feb 2020Updated: 12:31am, 19 Mar 2020

Hundreds of Filipino domestic workers have been barred from flying to Hong Kong, according to an employers’ group and recruitment agencies, after Manila issued a sweeping travel ban to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

Betty Yung Ma Shan-yee, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Employers of Overseas Domestic Helpers’ Association, said she received dozens of calls seeking help on Monday, a day after the Philippine government issued the temporary two-way ban.

Visitors arriving from China, including Hong Kong and Macau, will not be allowed to enter the Philippines while Filipinos returning home will be quarantined for 14 days. Filipinos are also banned from travelling to China.

“Around 200 to 300 domestic workers are estimated to be stuck in the airport, because as you know a few flights to Hong Kong have been cancelled,” Yung said.

“An employer told me her worker, who went home for a holiday, had her flight cancelled on Sunday night. She thought it was an issue with the airlines, but it turned out it was because of the ban.”

Yung said the employer was trying to arrange for her helper to return by transiting through a third country, but it was uncertain whether that would work.