The Philippines said it will temporarily suspend the entry of foreigners and some citizens as the Southeast Asian country battles a renewed spike in COVID-19 cases.

In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the country's coronavirus task force said foreign citizens and returning nationals who had not been working overseas will not be able to enter the country from March 20 until April 19 under the ban.

However, the ban doesn't include foreign government officials, diplomats, and Filipino workers returning from overseas.

The country is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases and increasing infections of new variants.