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KALIBO, Philippines – Around 350 Chinese tourists in Boracay Island are being monitored by a local task force of Malay, Aklan to control the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
Deputy task force information manager Madel Joy Tayco said the Chinese nationals arrived in Boracay Island before the government issued a directive for the temporary banning of foreigners and Filipinos coming from China and its special administrative regions of Macau and Hong Kong.
The number of persons for monitoring in Boracay Island has dwindled from a high of 2,000 tourists after direct flights to and from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau were cancelled.
“The tourists with travel history to China were cleared by Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) in local airports…it is now our task to monitor and manage them based on the guidelines of the World Health Organization and Department of Health until they leave Boracay Island,” said Tayco, also working as Nurse II of Municipal Health Office (MHO) of Malay, Aklan.
Contrary to.media reports, the Chinese tourists are persons for monitoring and not persons under investigation (PUIs) with no flu-like symptoms associated with the Wuhan coronavirus. The disease, as of February 5, has killed at least 490 people.
Tayco clarified the Chinese nationals were closely monitored in their hotels in coordination with hotel nurses and medical team, and not isolated in the island by health authorities.
“The monitoring of these foreigners include the checking of body temperature and other symptoms like difficulty of breathing and cough, which are done twice a day. So far, wala naman silang signs or symptoms,” she stressed.
On January 28, MHO Malay also started an information education dissemination campaign with resorts, hotels, schools, and other establishments to prevent the possible transmission of virus.
“We aim to educate and inform the public in Malay, Aklan, especially Boracay Island about the novel coronavirus and how they could protect themselves,” Tayco added.
As this developed, Provincial Health Officer I Dr. Cornelio Cuachon, Jr. identified Gov. Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center in Old Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan as a temporary holding facility for inbound travelers from China, Macau, and Hong Kong to undergo a 14-day quarantine period.
The Aklan training center was recommended by BOQ and the provincial inter-agency task force. The facility earlier handled 11 Chinese nationals on January 25 to monitor their conditions.
They were spending their vacation in Boracay Island when the Provincial Health Office-Aklan was alerted by DOH after four of them had close contacts with a coronavirus patient in Hong Kong.
The foreigners – 7 adults and 4 children – returned home on January 31 to Chengdu, China via Kalibo International Airport.
As a precautionary measure, BOQ and DOH personnel also conducted mandatory thermal scans of domestic tourists coming from Cebu, Manila and Clark to Kalibo International Airport and Caticlan airport in Malay, Aklan.
Health declaration cards are also collected and checked by health authorities for every incoming travelers. (READ: Philippines confirms 3rd case of novel coronavirus)
As of this posting, the 23-year old flight attendant and 17-year old Chinese national isolated in Aklan provincial hospital in Kalibo, Aklan are monitored by attending doctors for flu-like coronavirus symptoms. The patients have history of travel in Hong Kong and China.
Cuachon said they are awaiting test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for confirmation. – Rappler.com
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