DOH: Taiwan covered by nCoV travel ban

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has expanded its travel ban to Taiwan as cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection have increased.

Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said at a press conference that the travel restriction covers China, its special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Taiwan. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province of China.

“I think there is a presidential proclamation and as far as the World Health Organization (WHO) map, Taiwan is included in China,” he noted.

Domingo added right from the start when the travel ban to China was implemented, Taiwan was already covered.

However, there was “confusion” so the travel restriction was enforced for Taiwan “only late last week.”

“The DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) has made it clear to us that we have one-China policy,” he maintained.

But Taiwan made an appeal for reconsideration and this would be discussed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Under the ban, all foreign nationals – or those who do not have Philippine passports or do not hold resident visas issued by the Philippine government – are banned from entering the country if they come from China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

At the same time, those who hold Philippine passports and Philippine resident visas are now allowed to go to these places.

In a related development, Domingo reported there are a total of 49 persons under monitoring (PUMs) now undergoing 14-day quarantine at the Athletes’ Village in New Clark City, Tarlac

Thirty-two of them are repatriated overseas Filipinos from Wuhan, composed of 14 females and 18 males.

Also quarantined are eight members of the Philippine repatriation team, six plane crewmembers and three ground crew operators.

“Our on-site medical staff from Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital will be working 24/7 to conduct daily monitoring of the vital signs and status of the PUMs and provide appropriate health services to those who are quarantined,” he said.

Domingo assured the public that the DOH is “at the forefront of managing the whole quarantine process and making sure that our beloved kababayan are comfortable and treated with utmost care.”

The repatriates arrived from China last Sunday.

Discharged

Meanwhile, the Chinese woman tagged as the country’s first confirmed case of nCoV has fully recovered and was discharged from the San Lazaro Hospital after two weeks of confinement.

Domingo said that after two other tests by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine last Thursday and Friday, the 38-year-old woman turned out to be negative for nCoV infection.

“The first confirmed case has already recovered. She has been discharged from the hospital... I think she was fetched by the (Chinese) embassy,” Domingo said, adding he was not sure if the woman had already returned to China.

Domingo said “supportive treatment,” like hydration and medicines, was used to bring down woman’s viral load until she totally got cured of nCoV.

The patient arrived in Cebu City last Jan. 25 with her 44-year-old male partner who was categorized as a “person under investigation (PUI)” after he also developed nCoV symptoms.

The partner eventually tested positive for nCoV and died due to “underlying restrictive lung disease.”

Aside from the couple, a 60-year-old Chinese woman was also found infected with nCoV. She has recovered and gone back to China.

According to Domingo, there were 314 PUIs or suspect cases of nCoV in the Philippines as of noon yesterday.

He said “almost all” regions have reported PUIs, but still there is “no local transmission” of the virus in the country.

“So far, there is no community transmission yet. Our confirmed cases remain those that are imported. We hope that we keep out the community transmission,” he added.

DOH data show 261 PUIs are currently admitted in various health facilities, while 48 PUIs have been discharged under strict monitoring.

A total of 109 PUIs have tested negative and three tested positive for the 2019-nCoV. There are 202 cases pending test results from RITM.

“We are seeing a rapid increase in the transmission rate of the virus globally. In response, DOH has strengthened its capacity in preparation for the possibility of local transmission,” said

“All DOH hospitals are equipped to cater to the influx of patients and are following strict infection control protocols to contain the virus,” he said.