'What do you mean relaxed?' Panelo counters criticism of gov't response to nCoV threat
MANILA, Philippines — The Duterte administration had not been lax in its response to the threat of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease (2019-nCoV ARD), presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Friday.
President Rodrigo Duterte only declared a travel ban on Chinese nationals coming from affected areas in China a day after the Department of Health confirmed the first case of the deadly virus in the Philippines.
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READ: Palace expresses 'serious concern' as suspected novel coronavirus cases soar
Aside from the travel ban on Chinese nationals coming from Hubei province and other affected areas, the Department of Labor and Employment issued guidelines on Friday to curb the spead of the virus in the workplace.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Thursday ordered drivers and conductors of public utility vehicles to wear face masks. Operators of PUV terminals have also been told to provide passengers with hand sanitizer dispensers.
First confirmed case
On Thursday, the DOH announced that a 38-year-old Chinese tourist tested positive for the 2019-
The patient came from Wuhan City, the epicenter of the outbreak that has infected over 7,700 persons, via Hong Kong on January 21. She traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete before arriving in Metro Manila, where she
The DOH said the first confirmed 2019-
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs is getting ready to repatriate Filipinos in China, particularly those who are in Wuhan City and the rest of Hubei province.
The disease first emerged in Wuhan, where a seafood market
The DFA said it intends to repatriate the first batch of Filipinos next week subject to China's rules on disease containment. — Patricia Lourdes Viray
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