Chinese employees of Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs) may increasingly feel unwelcome in the Philippines, as the government makes finding work harder on them, and Chinese Filipinos blame them for discrimination. Suddenly, China doesn’t want them either.

China has declared that all travelers from the Philippines, including Chinese citizens, must prove they are Covid-19 free before they may board a flight home. This was announced on August 11 by the Chinese embassy in Manila, after several POGO workers returned home with Covid-19 infections.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the decision was made “to ensure the health and safety of international travel and reduce the risk of cross-border spread.”

While China has placed this restriction on most of their neighbors, it’s perceived that the Philippines made the list specifically because of POGO workers attempting to return home. Filipinos can’t really travel at the moment with a modified Enhanced Community Quarantine keeping them at home.