Boracay to reopen to Western Visayas tourists on June 16

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 11) — Boracay Island is set to reopen on June 16 to tourists from Western Visayas, the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force said Thursday.

In a media briefing, the Boracay IATF said minimum health standards will be observed, including the “no face mask, no entry” policy and physical distancing. Curfew guidelines are to be determined by the local government unit.

Activities involving close physical contact will be prohibited, although the IATF has yet to specify what these activities are. There are also no specifics about the number of tourists to be allowed in the area.

Tourism in the world-class island was put to a halt mid-March due to travel restrictions to contain COVID-19.

The task force said no coronavirus cases have been reported in Boracay for a month. To date, it only has one confirmed infection, a doctor at the island's hospital.

Based on the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development, there are a total of 136 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the region. Of this number, 96 have recovered, while 11 died.

CNN Philippines Correspondent Paolo Barcelon contributed to this report.