UPDATE 1-Philippines to lift Taiwan travel ban imposed over coronavirus

(Adds presidential spokesman, Taiwan foreign ministry, details
and background)
MANILA/TAIPEI, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The Philippines has lifted
a travel ban that was imposed on visitors from Taiwan in a bid
to control the spread of the coronavirus, and will evaluate
other restrictions including those on Macau, government
officials said on Friday.
The decision followed a warning by Taiwan, which has only
reported 18 cases of the virus compared to more then 63,000 in
China, of possible retaliation against the ban.
Taiwan had complained the ban was due to the World Health
Organization. The WHO considers self-ruled Taiwan a part of
China, listing the island under China for virus case numbers,
which Taiwan said gave a misleading impression that it had the
same rampant outbreak of the disease as China. Curbs imposed on Taiwan were removed effective immediately,
and its people are again free to travel to and from the
Philippines, Salvador Panelo, spokesman for President Rodrigo
Duterte, said in a statement.
"The lifting of travel restrictions for Taiwan has been
agreed by the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force by reason
of the strict measures (against the virus) they are
undertaking," Panelo said.
The decision was first confirmed to Reuters by a senior
government official, who asked not to be identified prior to the
signing of the order. Safeguards will be put in place, including
"heightened standard precautionary measures" and port-of-exit
screening, the official said.
The Philippines health and tourism ministers confirmed the
order's signing and said safety protocols would be implemented.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry welcomed the news, saying the
island had the virus situation well in hand.
The WHO needs to recognise that Taiwan does not come under
China's remit, and make amends, it added.
The ministry said the WHO's mistaken designation of Taiwan
and listing it as part of China's virus area had "misled" the
international community, causing huge problems for Taiwan's
government and people.
Taiwan and the Philippines have close economic ties and
there are more than 115,000 Filipinos living and working in
Taiwan, mainly in factories and as household helpers.
Taiwan is the Philippines' fifth largest tourist market,
with 327,273 arrivals in January to November last year, up 35%
versus the same period in 2018, tourism ministry data showed.
The coronavirus has killed more than 1,380 people, almost
all in China where the outbreak originated, with one each in
Hong Kong the Philippines and Japan. The Philippines, which recorded the first fatality from the
epidemic outside of China, imposed the travel ban on travellers
from Taiwan on Monday. Taiwan appealed for its lifting.
Panelo said an inter-agency panel will evaluate other
jurisdictions, including the Chinese territory of Macau, for
release from the ban as well, Panelo said.