‘Smelly blankets, no water’: 25 quarantined for coronavirus in Cebu go home

CEBU CITY, Philippines – At least 25 Filipinos who were quarantined in Busay village in Cebu, after disembarking from their Taiwan flight in Mactan-Cebu International Airport, are now home.

On Tuesday, February 11, 78 passengers were held at the Mactan airport when the Philippines included Taiwan in its temporary travel ban because of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19. They initially refused quarantine.

The 25 passengers were assigned to the provincial quarantine facility in Busay village, while the rest were sent to facilities provided by Cebu City and Department of Health Central Visayas. (READ: Cebu readies another quarantine area amid coronavirus threat)

Those assigned in the Busay quarantine unit complained of the poor facilities such as lack of electricity and running water, as well as, smelly blankets. They also said that they were not provided with bed sheets.

Apart from the 25, at least 5 were from Hong Kong.

Because of the complaints, the Cebu provincial government decided to move them, including those in the Hong Kong flight, to another quarantine facility in Pinamungajan on Friday, February 14.

Still, the 25 passengers from Taiwann opted to go home instead. Of the 25, 21 people went to their residences in Davao while the 4 others went home within the province.

The 4 from Cebu were made to sign a document committing to immediately get themselves checked into a hospital should they feel flu-like symptoms.

As of writing, no one checked in the Busay facility.

Meanwhile, there are 24 people being observed at the provincial quarantine facility in Lahug. They were from Hong Kong and Macau.

The Philippines on Friday lifted the travel ban imposed on Taiwan, after the latter protested.

The chairperson of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei warned that Taiwan could cancel visa-free privileges for Filipinos in retaliation to the ban.

Philippine health officials said however that the lifting of the ban has nothing to do with the threat of cancelling the visa-free privileges.

There are 3 confirmed cases in the Philippines, including one death. – Rappler.com