The United States Embassy in the Philippines has advised its nationals to reconsider plans to travel to the country due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The embassy made the appeal after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a level 3 Travel Health Notice for the country.
The travel health notice came after the Philippines has reported a total of 126,885 cases of COVID-19 infections, with 67,117 recoveries and 2,209 fatalities.
On Thursday, the Philippines overtook Indonesia as the hotspot of COVID-19 in Southeast Asia.
The US Embassy also strongly cautioned its citizens against traveling to the Philippines due to “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, a measles outbreak, and kidnapping.”
It advised tourists to refrain from visiting the Sulu Archipelago, including the southern Sulu Sea, due to “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping” as well as Marawi City due to “terrorism and civil unrest.”
American tourists have also been warned against going to other areas in Mindanao due to “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.”