DOH: 2 Pinoys repatriated from China had diarrhea, tested negative for COVID-19

Two Filipinos who were recently repatriated from China experienced diarrhea but tested negative for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday.

A one-year-old boy and a 34-year-old woman were brought to the Jose B. Lingad General Hospital in Pampanga "due to diarrhea and abdominal discomfort," according to Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo.

"However, both tested negative for the COVID-19 and will be sent back to the New Clark City to complete their 14-day quarantine period," he added.

Domingo assured the public that health authorities are checking on the repatriates twice a day to monitor their conditions.

The repatriated Filipinos arrived in the Philippines on Sunday morning.

Currently being quarantined in the New Clark City are 49 people: 30 repatriates, two Foreign Affairs advance team members, eight members of the government’s repatriation team, six plane crew members, and three ground crew operators.

Psychosocial processing is being facilitated and the repatriates were provided the means to contact their families while in isolation, according to Domingo.

The Philippine government required a 14-day quarantine for all Filipinos returning from China and its special administrative regions.

Earlier in the day, data from the Health Department showed that more than half of the suspected cases of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in the Philippines have so far tested negative for infection.

Of the total 382 PUIs reported in the country, 196 tested negative and were already cleared.

On the other hand, three tested positive while 183 other suspected cases are awaiting the results of laboratory tests. — RSJ, GMA News