Duterte: Philippines is first in Asia to impose quarantine

The Philippines was the first country in Asia to impose a quarantine to stem the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday.

Duterte said the “cruel action by the government” to lock down the entire Luzon was a necessary measure to arrest the spread of the new coronavirus.

“Ngayon tingnan mo ang total [cases]. Ano na lang kaya kung hindi tayo nag-lockdown,” he said.

The Philippines has recorded 5,660 COVID-19 cases with 435 recoveries and 362 deaths on Thursday afternoon.

“Kung hindi ko ni-lockdown ang Pilipinas, kita mo ‘yung mga bansa na ayaw. Dito, tayo ang nauna sa Asia. Tayo talaga ang nauna sa Asia,” he said.

“Baka sabihin mo, napakahusay ni Duterte kasi nag-lockdown. Ang may sabi niyan, ‘yung mga doktor, hindi ako. Hindi akin itong social distancing.”

The President acknowledged, however, that “even during the previous months, meron na ‘yan (COVID-19) at nakapasok dito, hindi lang alam ng mga tao.”

While the Philippines was the first in Asia to declare a sweeping quarantine by locking down a third of the country, CNN noted in February that the first lockdown of a town outside mainland China, where the virus originated, was in the Son Loi district of Vietnam.

The government’s initial refusal to stop flights coming from China also came under fire in January. 

At that time Duterte said he was not yet inclined to turn away Chinese travelers “because they are not also suspending theirs and they continue to respect the freedom, flights that we enjoy in their country.”

The travel ban for foreigners from China and its Special Administrative Regions came days after the president’s pronouncement.

A few days later, three Chinese nationals became the first COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. -- BAP, GMA News