MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte said there was no need for the public to be “hysterical” over the novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV) which is finding its way in the country.
“You know, this coronavirus (is) scaring people all over the country. The response of the people from the initial reports of coronavirus was almost hysterical when there was really no need for it actually,” Duterte said to the media after a Cabinet meeting on the illness on Monday evening.
“If there is really a virus going around, why do you have to be hysterical? Why don’t you just go to the hospital and have yourself treated or if you are quarantined, if you suspect that you have acquired,” he added.
President Duterte also said that the public hysteria over the disease caused the stocks of face masks to quickly deplete but he assured that the government has procured more stocks of face masks.
“The supply has depleted because there’s an emergency and there’s a need for it so everybody is buying. That’s the reason why there is a scarce supply in the market. Without the virus, the masks are not being sold by the thousands,” he said.
Filipinos fear over the novel coronavirus heightened after the Department of Health confirmed last week two cases of the disease in the country, with one of them dying due to the virus./PN
