MANILA (REUTERS) - The Philippines has stopped doctors, nurses, medics and other healthcare workers from going abroad while it needs their skills to meet the threat of the coronavirus spreading at home, a foreign affairs official said.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration issued the order on April 2, though it was made public only on Friday (April 10).

The aim is "to prioritise human resource allocation for the national healthcare system", according to the resolution posted on Twitter by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay.

The ban will remain in place until the Philippines ends its state of emergency and countries that would hire the medical personnel lift their coronavirus-related travel restrictions.

As of Friday, the Philippines had recorded 4,195 cases of coronavirus, with 221 deaths.

The government has also suspended negotiations for bilateral labour agreements covering government-to-government deployment of health workers.

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