MANILA, Philippines — At least 42 Filipinos in China's Hubei province have requested to
be repatriated amid the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-
nCov) outbreak, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella said the DFA is intending to bring home the Filipinos in Hubei this week.
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China has implemented a lockdown in Hubei's Wuhan City and nearby areas to contain the virus that has infected
more than 16,400 people across China and killed 360 people.
"The aircraft may leave for China sometime this week," Abella said in
press briefing, adding that the Philippine government is arranging for an aircraft that will fetch Filipinos in Hubei.
Aside from a DFA response team, medical personnel from the Department of Health will also be deployed to fetch the overseas Filipinos.
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No Filipinos among cases in China
Abella noted that the DFA continues to monitor the 2019-
nCoV outbreak and to ensure the protection of
oversease Filipinos.
"
No Filipinos are confirmed to
be infected by the 2019-
nCoV Acute Respiratory Disease. There are 295,047 Filipinos in mainland China," Abella said.
According to the DFA official, the Philippine Embassy in Beijing and six Consulates General in China issue timely advisories that reflect realities on the ground.
Foreign service posts in China have also established 24/7 WeChat hotline with Filipino
doctos, psychologists and nurses to ask for information about the SARS-like virus.
"This communication line will deal with queries on the health aspect of the 2019-
nCoV
as well as provide psychological
supprt to the Filipinos in China
in the midst of the said threat to health," the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai said in an advisory.