DOH sets up chat hotline for Pinoys in China

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos in China may use a round-the-clock WeChat hotline with Filipino doctors, psychologists and nurses to ask for information and medical assistance regarding the 2019 novel coronavirus.

The real-time hotline was opened by the Department of Health (DOH) in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Filipinos in China are encouraged to add and access the hotline by scanning with their own WeChat apps the QR code for DOH 2019-nCoV Team China Mainland.

All calls and messages made via the hotline will be received and responded to by Filipino doctors, psychologists and nurses trained on crisis intervention.

“This communication line will deal with queries on the health aspect of the 2019-nCoV as well as provide psychological support to Filipinos in China in the midst of the said threat to health,” the DFA said.

Filipinos in China are also encouraged to share this information, along with the QR Code of the DOH Wechat Hotline, to the rest of the Filipino community.

On Friday, the DFA announced the temporary suspension of visa issuance for travelers coming from Hubei province.

Foreign Service Posts in China, including the Philippine embassy in Beijing and the Consulates General in Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau SAR, Xiamen and Shanghai, which has jurisdiction over Wuhan and Hubei, are temporarily suspending the issuance of visas for travelers coming from Hubei pursuant to Resolution No. 01-2020 of the Inter-Agency task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious diseases.

No repatriation for now

China is reluctant on agreeing to repatriating Filipinos, as doing so may further the spread of 2019-nCoV.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Thursday that the DFA Office of Asia and Pacific Affairs (ASPAC) Assistant Secretary Meynardo Montealegre and Office of Consular Affairs Assistant Secretary Neil Frank Ferrer met with Consul General Luo Gang of the Chinese embassy in Manila.

During the meeting, Luo discussed that China is implementing all measures to stop the spread of the virus, including a lockdown in Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus strain was first discovered.

The close coordination regarding visa suspension was also discussed during the meeting.

China also assured everyone including foreigners of sufficient food supplies and medical facilities, and will share contact information of persons at hospitals in Hubei for the DFA and the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai with Filipinos.

The DFA said it is ready to repatriate Filipinos in Wuhan City and the rest of Hubei province who wish to come home, subject to China’s rules on disease containment, including immigration clearance and quarantine process.

The Consulate estimates there are 300 Filipinos in the province, 150 of them in Wuhan.