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Palace on new COVID-19 cases in Philippines: No need for alarm


Malacañang on Friday assured the public that the government is prepared to respond to the novel coronavirus threat after the Philippines recorded new infections.

“There is no need for alarm or worry because we are ready. From the very start we already said that,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo told reporters.

Panelo said protocols are already in place, adding President Rodrigo Duterte would definitely grant the request of the Department of Health (DOH) for a P2-billion supplemental budget intended for coronavirus response.

The Philippines has recorded two more cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number to five, the DOH announced on Friday.

The fourth confirmed case is a 48-year-old male Filipino with travel history to Japan.

The fifth case is a 62-year-old male Filipino in San Juan City with no travel history abroad but has frequently visited a Muslim prayer hall and has hypertension and diabetes.

Contact tracing is being done for the two cases and samples have already been collected from close contacts, the DOH said.

Despite the development, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that it is still premature to conclude that there is already local transmission in the Philippines.

Panelo said the DOH has been transparent in updating the public about the disease even though the governments of Taiwan and Australia were the first to report that they have infected citizens who had a history of travel to the Philippines.

“You can’t please all the people all the time,” he said. “Secretary Duque is a very efficient man.”

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, meanwhile, urged everyone to continue to cooperate, heed, and observe all precautionary measures by the DOH along with other advisories by other concerned agencies.

“Preventing the spread of this health concern is something that cannot be done independently, but one that must be addressed collectively,” he said. — RSJ, GMA News

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