No basis to close all airports in Philippines as of the moment amid coronavirus threat —CAB

As the threat of the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCOV) lingers, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) sees no need to shut down all airports in the Philippines as of the moment as safety procedures are in place to prevent the entry of the deadly virus in the country.

"Sa oras na ito, hindi pa, wala pang batayan para isara lahat ng paliparan," CAB executive director Carmelo Arcilla said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV aired on GMA News TV on Saturday.

Arcilla said airport and aviation authorities are implementing a so-called health form or "yellow card" system for air travelers to determine if they communicated a disease from their point of origin.

The practice is in accordance with the standards developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), World Health Organization (WHO), and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), according to the CAB official.

"Sa eroplano, kapag may nakitang may sintomas ang isang pasahero, kasama sa ive-verify ang mga kasabay niya na four seats away," Arcilla said.

Wuhan's local government said it would close all urban transport networks and suspend outgoing flights from the city as of 10 a.m. on Thursday (0200 GMT), state media reported, adding that the government said citizens should not leave the city unless there were special circumstances.

"Ang importante sarado na ang Wuhan. Ito kasi ang itinuturing na ground zero," Arcilla said.

Wuhan in China was believed to be where the previously unknown coronavirus strain emerged.

China said the virus has killed 41 people and infected more than 1,300 people globally. 

The total number of confirmed cases in China now stands at 1,287, the National Health Commission said in a statement on Saturday.

The vast majority of the cases and all of the confirmed deaths to date have been in China, but the virus has also been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Nepal, France and the United States.

In the Philippines, the Department of Health has earlier identified 22 individuals who arrived with colds, cough and fever after traveling from China amid the threat of the nCOV. They are now under observation.

Authorities earlier said the family of a Chinese citizen who became the first case of novel coronavirus infection in Hong Kong had traveled to the Philippines.

On Tuesday, a child who arrived in Cebu from Wuhan tested positive for non-specific pan coronavirus assay. This meant that the child was infected with a coronavirus. Health authorities later found out that a specimen from the child tested negative for the virus.

The WHO has called the nCOV "an emergency in China" on Thursday, but stopped short of declaring the epidemic of international concern.

Researchers said nCOV may have originated in bats or snakes, based on genetic analysis of the virus.

"Nakamatyag kami at nag-aantay ng further developments. Nagdadasal kami na sana 'di maging malala ang sitwasyon para sa mga tao sa buong mundo, sa Pilipinas," Arcilla said. —Ted Cordero/KG, GMA News