Duterte to continue shaking hands amid nCoV threat

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday indicated that he would not limit his public engagements amid the threat of the novel coronavirus, adding that he would continue to shake people's hands contrary to the health secretary's advice.

At a press briefing following a Cabinet meeting on nCoV, Duterte said it was part of his job as President to shake hands.

“I have to shake hands with people. Alam mo, presidente ako. Hindi naman ako puwedeng ‘Hi, how are you?’ ‘Good,’ and if somebody would extend his hand for any gesture or handshake, [sabihin ko] ‘Wag na lang muna ‘yan,” Duterte said.

“You know, when my time comes, you will know because I will go out of Malacañang in a funeral car,” he jested.

Duterte indicated confidence that experts would find a way to control the new coronavirus.

“Keep faith with humanity. Since then, I said, e noon ang cancer was a death warrant. Now, cancer wala na. You can still live,” Duterte said.

The novel coronavirus has so far claimed over 300 lives in China and infected over 14,000 others.

In the Philippines, there had been two confirmed cases, one of them resulting in death—the first outside China. 

Health Secretary Francisco Duque last week urged the public to avoid shaking hands and bussing cheeks as one of the measures to limit the risk of being infected with nCoV.

“Avoid shaking of hands this time. [At] the most siguro fist bump,” Duque said.

Duque also called on the public not to eat raw meat and exotic animals following reports that the new strain of coronavirus discovered in China may have come from bats or snakes. —NB, GMA News