Cebu airport authorities implement strict measures amid coronavirus scare

Strict precautionary measures have been implemented at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in efforts to control the potential spread and transmission of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the airport's operator said.

In a statement, Megaworld Construction Corporation said the MCIA community—comprised of the MCIA Authority (MCIAA), GMA Megawide Cebu Airport Corporaiton (GMCAC), the Bureau of Quarantine, and other stakeholders—have agreed to implement precautionary measures.

"MCIA aims to ensure the well-being of passengers and employees and is committed to working with the relevant authorities to monitor the situation," the statement read.

Megawide, through GMCAC, operates the airport, which can accommodate over 8 million passengers annually.

According to the company, it has advised all airlines to make a standard in-flight announcement urging passengers experiencing flu-like symptoms to self-declare and voluntarily submit to a medical screening.

Thermal scanning in the airport has also been intensified, with more alcohol-based hand sanitizers being installed in the facility.

Medical teams have also been stationed at arrival areas to provide information and advice to passengers, while airport staff have been required to wear surgical masks.

Since the 2019-nCoV was identified in China's Wuhan City in mid-December, at least 222 cases have now been reported across China, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.

Earlier this week, the Department of Health (DOH) said it is monitoring a five-year-old Chinese child who arrived in Cebu from Wuhan.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has also tracked down the family of Hong Kong's first suspected case of novel coronavirus infection after they were said to have flown to the Philippines on Wednesday. — BM, GMA News