Travelers wearing protective masks sit on trolleys as they wait for their flight at Manila’s international airport.
The abrupt and sometimes chaotic implementation of the curbs has left travelers like Neren Gaffud stuck in limbo. The 39-year-old, who works as a housekeeper in Hong Kong, was visiting her family in the Philippines when President Rodrigo Duterte banned travel to the financial hub, along with mainland China and Macau.
“We had to sit and sleep on the pavement. We were also worried we might catch the virus because it was so crowded,” she said, adding that some people were panicking about losing their jobs. “Some employers have said they will need to end their contracts and find other help.” While it’s too early to gauge the full extent of the impact on airlines, OAG Aviation Worldwide Ltd says China has never seen a rush of flight suspensions this large.