MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has issued a ban for visitors from Hubei province in China, following the confirmation of the first 2019 novel coronavirus (2019 nCoV) case in the country, according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.
“Upon the recommendation of Health secretary Francisco Duque, the President has issued a travel ban to Chinese nationals coming from Hubei province of China where the nCoV originated, as well in other places in China where the disease has spread,” Panelo said yesterday.
The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Jan. 29 the first case in the country from a 38-year-old woman from Wuhan City – the largest in Hubei province.
Duterte ordered the DOH to contain the disease and prevent its transmission, Panelo said as he assured the public that the Chinese national is currently receiving medical treatment.
“There is no way that she will transmit the disease to another person as the hospital personnel are protectively dressed; their mouths and noses covered with surgical masks and their hands covered with gloves,” Panelo added.
“We ask the public to follow the advice of the DOH in taking preventive measures such as regularly washing one’s hands and wearing surgical masks in crowded areas,” he said.
Less than a day after the announcement of the DOH, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a “global emergency” over concerns that the virus will spread “to other countries with weaker health systems.”
Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo supported the calls to restrict all Chinese flights from entering the Philippines.
“Ang kasalukuyang banta ng coronavirus sa bawat Pilipino ay nangangailangan ng agarang aksyon mula sa ating pamahalaan. Marami nang mga mungkahi para mas paigtingin pa ng pamahalaan ang tugon, lalo’t nagdeklara na ang WHO ng global emergency,” Robredo said.
“Ang pagpataw ng pangkalahatang prohibisyon sa lahat ng mga biyahe galing sa bansa ng Tsina at ang pagtiyak na mabigyan ng karampatang suporta ang mga kababayan nating nasa mga apektadong lugar, kasama ang paglikas kung kakailanganin,” she added.
The 2019 nCoV has reportedly killed over 200 people in China as of this writing./PN
