ILOILO City – While Gov. Samuel Gumarin of Guimaras acknowledged the Department of Health’s (DOH) efforts to protect public health from the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoVv), he stressed the need for immediate action at the local level.
He feared a contagion would adversely affect Guimaras’ economy, explained Gumarin.
This was the primary reason why he ordered a temporary ban from Guimaras of tourists from Wuhan City – epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China – and other countries with 2019-nCoV infections.
Guimaras, an island province, is a popular tourist destination due to its white-sand beaches, pristine waters and dive sites, and its export quality sweet mangoes.
“While the Bureau of Quarantine remains on high alert and is in constant coordination with authorities from all ports of entry for stricter border surveillance, the province of Guimaras likewise needs to have full vigilance and security in all its entry points,” read part of Gumarin’s Executive Order No. 15 issued on Jan. 31.
The order took effect immediately.
Gumarin was bothered by theDOH confirmation of the first case of 2019-nCoV in the country – a 38-year-old female Chinese tourist from Wuhan now confined in a hospital in Manila.
He also cited the declaration of the World Health Organization of the 2019-nCoV outbreak as a “public-health emergency of international concern.”/PN
