The Philippines has extended restrictions on travellers arriving from 10 countries, including the UAE, until August 15 in a bid to stem the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19, it was announced on Friday.
Inbound passengers from the following countries are affected by the ban: UAE, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
The ban was first imposed on May 15, after passengers entering the Philippines from the UAE were found to be infected with the Delta strain. It was then extended until July 15 and then again until July 30.
“This is a proactive measure amid the implementation of international border control because of Covid-19 Delta variant,” the Philippines' presidential spokesman, Harry Roque, said.
More than 27,000 people have died because of Covid-19 in the Asian country and, on Thursday, its positive case rate climbed to 16.2 per cent, its highest in three months, according to the Department of Health in the Philippines.
An Emirates spokesperson has confirmed restrictions will remain in effect until Sunday, August 15.
"Passengers whose journey originates from the UAE, including Filipino nationals, will not be accepted for travel to all points in the Philippines. During this time, flights will continue to operate as scheduled and passengers transiting in Dubai and those returning to the Philippines under the government repatriation programme will be allowed to travel."
Cebu Pacific has cancelled its flights between Dubai and Manila until Tuesday, August 31. Affected passengers have been informed, with refunds being requested, and the airline has also recently changed its policies to allow unlimited rebooking with no change fee.
Health authorities have so far reported four 216 Delta-variant cases in the Philippines.
On Friday, Roque also announced Metro Manila would be placed under the strictest level of quarantine measures to avoid putting more pressure on hospitals.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
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- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
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- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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