Covid-19 infections of workers force airlines to cancel flights

COVID-19 infections among the staff of Philippine Air Lines and Cebu Pacific have forced the cancellation of 120 flights in the Laguindingan airport and Ozamiz City, officials said.

A report by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to the National Economic Development Authority-10 said Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental recorded 53 incoming flights and another 53 outbound flights of PAL and Cebu Pacific were canceled starting January 1 to 13 this year.

NEDA-10 Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño said the CAAP report did not say how many passengers were affected by the canceled flights.

For the Ozamiz airport, Cariño said 14 incoming and outgoing flights of Cebu Pacific and PAL Express were canceled from January 5 to 13.

Cariño said the cancellations of flights affected 31 passengers from the PAL Express in Ozamiz City. She said the CAAP made no mention of how many passengers of Cebu Pacific were affected.

“It's too early to tell but if these continue it would impact the economy in Northern Mindanao,” Cariño said during a press briefing Wednesday.

Department of Health-10 Director Dr. Jose Llacuna Jr said they would have to seek the assistance of the Philippine Air Force in ferrying much-needed vaccines from Manila to Laguindingan Airport if the cancellations continue.

Llacuna said they still have enough supply of vaccines to last till the end of the month though.

Department of Interior and Local Government-10 Director Arnel Agabe said it would be up to the local government of Cagayan de Oro if it would impose travel restrictions into the city from Manila.

But Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno said he is not inclined to impose travel restrictions aside from those required by CAAP and the airlines.

Cagayan de Oro was raised to the stricter Alert Level 3 from January 14 to 31 after a spike of Covid-19 cases was detected in the past two weeks.

The City Health Office logged 77 Covid-19 cases last January 11, the highest recorded in a single day this year.

CHO medical officer Dr. Ted Yu blamed travels and parties during the Christmas season for the spike of the coronavirus in the city.

A returning overseas worker from Kenya who is a resident of Iligan City was diagnosed as an Omicron case but the DOH said he recovered already.