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NCOV THREAT

Soldiers to help secure quarantine facility in Fort Magsaysay —official


Troops from the 7th Infantry Division will secure the outer portion of the drug rehabilitation facility in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija where Filipinos arriving from China on Saturday will be quarantined.

"Sa security, we will control 'yung outside portions lang ng facilities but right inside it will be all Department of Health [personnel]," Major General Lenard Agustin, chief of the 7ID, told reporters on Thursday.

Agustin said the repatriates would stay in the facility for 14 days, the mandatory quarantine period for Filipinos coming from China amid the threat of the novel coronavirus.

Agustin said if rallyists will hold protest actions in the area, officials from the DOH should be the one who will explain to them why there is a need to use the facility as a quarantine site.

"The DOH personnel must be the one to explain it to the people kasi kami sa mga sundalo hindi naman kami expert in that regard," he said.

"Kaya nga kung meron kayong mga questions man in connection with that nCoV, bakit ika-quarantine ng 14 days, bakit doon, it will have to be answered by DOH," Agustin added.

Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali was earlier reported to be opposed to using Fort Magsaysay's rehabilitation center as containment facility.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the repatriated Filipinos will arrive at Clark Airport in Pampanga on Saturday and will be transported to Fort Magsaysay.

Latest data from the DOH indicated that the Philippines had three confirmed cases of the disease. They were all Chinese nationals. One of them died last February 1. —KBK, GMA News

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