MANILA – Philippine Airlines on Thursday said flights to and from South Korea started operating under new travel guidelines to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

All travelers, regardless of nationality, who have been to North Gyeongsang in Daegu are banned from entering the country from Korea, the flag carrier said.

Filipinos traveling to Korea for tourism are covered by the travel ban while those studying, employed or are permanent residents are exempted provided that they show proof of identification, the airline said.

“Travel ban applies to all passengers who have been to North Gyeongsang province including Daegu City," PAL said.

Malacañang on Wednesday barred Filipinos tourists from traveling to Korea after the rise in COVID-19 cases in the East Asian nation.

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Passengers transferring through Korea are also exempted, it said.

Daegu City is where the church that was at the center of the outbreak is located, the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC) said in a statement. There are 1,595 COVID-19 cases in South Korea as of Feb. 27, it said.

Philippine Airlines operates 21 weekly flights between Manila and South Korea, 14 weekly flights between Manila and Incheon and 7 weekly Manila – Busan flights.

-- with reports from Reuters