SAN JOSE, ANTIQUE – The municipality of Caluya has enforced a “no disembarkation” policy for the crew of a Chinese vessel at the Semirara International Port as a preventive measure against the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
Enforced since Jan. 30, the policy was adopted “so there will be no human contact,” Caluya legal officer Arthur Lastimoso said in an interview on Wednesday.
He said cargo vessels from China dock at the port every week to transport coal from the Semirara Mining and Power Corporation.
The last time a Chinese vessel docked at the port was on Jan. 27.
“With the no disembarkation policy implemented by the Caluya LGU (local government unit), the crew members of Chinese vessels, if they need to order food, (can) just do it through their phones,” he said.
The coal is loaded through a conveyor so that there is no human contact, Lastimoso added.
As of Feb. 3, this province has one person under investigation (PUI) currently managed by an undisclosed hospital in Antique. The patient has a travel history to China.
“He also has fever, cough and/or colds,” said Jessa Sison of the Integrated Provincial Health Office.
During a briefing with municipal tourism officers of the 18 towns in the province on nCOV, she said a PUI is one who has a travel history to Hubei Provinces and in other Chinese provinces. (With a report from PNA/PN)
