Capas LGU unhappy with assurances given over nCoV quarantine facility

The Department of Health (DOH) failed to assure local officials that the use of the New Clark City as a novel coronavirus quarantine facility for Filipinos returning from China's Hubei province posed no danger to the people of Capas, Tarlac, the town's acting mayor said Saturday.

"Hindi po, hindi po nila maibigay sa akin yung assurance ng zero probability na may leak out," Capas Vice Mayor Butch Rodriguez said in an interview on Balitanghali Weekend on Saturday.

The local government of Capas earlier opposed the use of New Clark City as a quarantine facility for Filipinos returning from China's Hubei province where the novel coronavirus first broke out. 

The local officials insisted that they were not consulted over the move and that they were "shocked" when it was announced publicly that the quarantine facility would be within their town.

On Thursday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced that Filipinos returning from China would be housed at the Athletes' Village which was used during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. 

Given a scenario in which an nCoV-infected person sneezed and a fly landed on the infected person's saliva, Rodriguez said that health authorities could not say whether the fly would be able to spread the virus across the town.

In a separate interview on dzBB, Duque said that strict quarantine laws would be implemented at New Clark City by the time the OFWs from Wuhan arrive.

"Wag po sila mangangamba, lahat ng mga hakbang at measures ay sinisigurado po naming maisasakatuparan," he said, noting that New Clark City will be locked down.

"Wala tayong option na tinitignan maliban sa New Clark City bilang quarantine area para sa mga uuwing OFW. Importante na ma-quarantine sila kasi ayaw natin na magkaroon ng problema sa iba pang kalamidad," the Health chief said.

Despite their misgivings, Capas would abide by the national government's decision, Rodriguez said, adding that local officials were only hoping that the DOH consider other sites for quarantine. — Ted Cordero/DVM, GMA News