Dumaguete, Baguio adopt preventive measures to avert spread of nCoV

The cities of Dumaguete and Baguio have already implemented preventive measures to avert cases of novel coronavirus (nCoV) from reaching their areas.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Sunday aired on GMA News TV, Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo said that while no resident of the city has manifested symptoms of nCoV infection, they ensure that the locals are well-informed about how to prevent contamination.

"Ine-explain namin sa kanila through the Department of Health, the City Health Officer, na hindi kayo dapat mag-panic dahil kung tayo ay mag-observe lang ng cleanliness, magdala ng alcohol, not necessarily yung mask, hindi kayo lumalabas sa maraming tao, [hindi kayo mahahawa]," he said.

The Department of Health last week announced that a 38-year-old woman from Wuhan, China who arrived in the Philippines via Hong Kong on January 21 is the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in the country.

Her companion, a 44-year-old Chinese male, also tested positive for nCov. He died on Saturday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque revealed on Sunday.

It was the first death due to nCoV in the country, and the second nCoV case in the Philippines.

The woman and her companion entered the country through Cebu and transferred to Dumaguete before flying to Manila.

Remollo said that as seen through the CCTV footage of the hotel the two visited in Dumaguete, it was the companion who was wearing a surgical mask and not the woman. It was later revealed that the companion had been experiencing fever and cough when they came to the hotel.

The DOH already visited the said hotel for inspection, Remollo said.

The mayor, however, is not in favor of implementing a 14-day quarantine period of travelers coming from China anymore.

"I think, it's more on kapag merong mag-check in na taga-China o galing China or Hong Kong, dapat paalisin mo na sa Dumaguete," he said.

Meanwhile, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said some activities for the Panagbenga Festival have already been postponed in an attempt to stop the spread of nCoV.

These include the street parade for the festival, the International Jazz Festival, and the weekly Sunday Pedestalization at the Session Road.

"Pinostpone natin ang mga crowd drawer events natin. These are control strategies, measures. Sinasabi nila na OA (overacting) kami, pero ako na rin ang nagsasabi sa inyo na these are proactive measures," Magalong said.

"Mabuti na 'yung maingat tayo para maiwasan natin na magkaroon tayo ng malaking problema dahil ang ating primordial concern ay 'yung ating health, well-being at safety ng ating general public," he added.

On Saturday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año ordered all local government executives to adopt severe measures against nCoV following the announcement of the first confirmed case in the country. —Erwin Colcol/KG, GMA News