Cremation of 2nd confirmed nCoV case in Philippines to push through —DOH

The cremation of the 44-year-old Chinese male who died in the Philippines after testing positive for novel coronavirus will push through on Wednesday, the Department of Health said.

"The Department has already made arrangements. I think the directive from the Secretary yesterday was to have the cremation done today but I don't have the details yet if it was already completed," DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Eric Domingo said in a press conference.

He added that consent to do so was secured from the Chinese Embassy.

"The DOH has the mandate that if you have infectious disease of public health concern, you have to dispose the body in a sanitary way. So mayroon tayong karapatan. Siyempre gusto pa rin natin may consent," Domingo said.

On Tuesday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that crematoriums were backing out from attending to the corpse of the novel coronavirus-infected Chinese tourist who died on Saturday.

The man was the first fatal case outside China where close to 500 have already died.

Meanwhile, the first confirmed case of novel coronavirus in the country—the deceased patient's partner—is still confined at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.

"'Yung first case natin wala na talaga siyang sakit—no fever, no cough, no colds. However, the latest test that was done itong last 48 hours was still positive... Kumakaunti na 'yung virus pero positive pa rin so hindi pa rin natin siya pinapauwi," Domingo said. —KG, GMA News