By ANALOU DE VERA
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III reported Tuesday that there are already 80 Filipinos on board the M/V Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan who tested positive for the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In a radio interview, Duque said that some 450 Filipinos from the said embattled cruise ship were set to be flown back to the country evening of Tuesday, February 25. The repatriates would be assisted by the Philippine repatriation team composed of a nine-member group from the Department of Health (DoH) and a four-member party from the Foreign Affairs department.
The repatriates will be monitored for 14-days at the Athletes’ Village in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac for symptoms of COVID-19.
Last Monday, Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the repatriates will be checked twice a day and assured that they will be provided with food and other basic provisions. “We will ensure that Infection Control and Quarantine protocols will be strictly followed by our kababayans and health workers that will man the quarantine facility,” she said.
In a related development, there are two Filipinos being treated for COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates as well as one each in Hong Kong and Singapore, Duque reported.
PROPOSED SOKOR
TRAVEL BAN
Meanwhile, the government is expected to come up with a decision on Wednesday, February 26, whether or not to impose a travel ban to South Korea due to COVID-19.
Duque said that members of the Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is set to convene on Wednesday to discuss the matter.
“Most likely it will come out tomorrow,” said the Health chief during a television interview on Tuesday.
South Korea has recorded the most number of confirmed COVID-19 cases outside of China. According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), there are already 763 COVID-19 cases in South Korea.
Duque said that there will be several factors to be considered before imposing such measure on South Korea.
“Number one the risk assessment of the local transmission, how fast this is happening in countries like South Korea. And then the volume of travelers is another metric,” he said.
“There will be economic impact assessment, tourism and transportation impact. All of these will be considered and balanced all of these before arriving at a recommendation. But by and large public health and safety will prevail over other considerations,” he added.
The Philippine government has so far imposed travel ban on China and its special administrative regions—Hong Kong and Macau.
Duque, meanwhile, encouraged Filipinos who are planning to visit some parts of South Korea, particularly in Daegu, to postpone their travel plans for the meantime.
“For all of those who are going to Daegu area, it is prudent to postpone travel to that area. They have to listen very closely to the developments there. At this point, we discourage absolutely any travel to those areas. It is not prudent to do that,” he said.
LOCAL TRANSMISSION
The DoH is still not letting its guard down on the possibility of community transmission of COVID-19 in the country.
“Ang lagi ko ngang sinasabi hindi ito ang tanong–kung darating ba?; ang tanong kailan darating. Malamang darating kasi… kahit bansang mayayaman nakapasok ang COVID,” said Duque.
Based on the COVID-19 tracker of the DoH, a total of 610 persons under investigation (PUIs) for the said disease has already been recorded nationwide since the surveillance started last January.
Of the said figure, there are 98 PUIs that remain admitted in different medical facilities while 509 have already recovered and were discharged. The confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines remains at three, two of whom have already recovered while the other one died.