DOH doubts Taiwanese, Japanese with COVID-19 acquired virus in the Philippines

The two foreign nationals—Japanese and Taiwanese—who tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after visiting the Philippines most likely contracted the virus from other countries, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

During a press conference, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III confirmed that indeed the 38-year-old Taiwanese male was here in the country from February 28 to March 3.

"He developed abdominal discomfort and diarrhea on March 2, and experienced sore throat, fever, and malaise on March 3. The patient consulted at an outpatient clinic in Taiwan on March 4, and was confirmed positive for COVID-19 on March 5," Duque said.

"The onset of symptoms on March 2 points to possible infection before the patient traveled to the Philippines," he added.

Meanwhile, the 44-year-old Japanese male who tested positive to COVID-19 in Japan visited the Philippines from February 21 to 28.

Duque pointed out that the patient, before visiting the Philippines, also went to  Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

"The extensive travel history of the patient suggests possible contraction of the disease in another country," he said.

On the other hand, the case of the Australian woman who tested positive for the virus after attending a wedding in Manila on February 13 and visiting Pangasinan on March 2 is still being studied by the DOH.

"DOH is still verifying information with the International Health Regulation National Focal Point Australia," Duque said.

As for a reported COVID-19 case in India who also supposedly had recent travel to the Philippines, the Health Secretary said the DOH has not received any information yet.

The Philippines has five confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of March 6. The first three were all Chinese tourists who visited the country in January. Two of whom have recovered while one died.

The fourth and fifth cases were both Filipino nationals who are now confined at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa.—AOL, GMA News