UPDATE: First case of nCoV confirmed in PH — DoH
Credit to Author: John Eric Mendoza| Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2020 08:07:23 +0000
THE Department of Health has confirmed the first case of the novel coronavirus in the Philippines.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd identified the victim as a 38-year old woman from Wuhan, China, who tested positive for the nCoV based on the laboratory results, which arrived today from the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia.
The patient, who remains asymptomatic, is currently confined in a hospital in Manila.
“I assure [the public] the DoH is on top of this evolving situation,” said Duque in a press briefing at the DoH office in Manila.
“We are working closely with the hospital where the patient is admitted,” he said.
The Chinese woman, who had a tourist visa, arrived in the Philippines via Hongkong.
The DoH said it was tracking the flights of the patient, as well as the places she’d been to, namely Cebu and Dumaguete.
The DoH said the woman sought medical help after experiencing severe coughing.
Duque said with the first confirmed case of nCoV in the Philippines, the DoH was now recommending travel restrictions.
Duque encourages the public to remain vigilant, avoid crowded places and to wear face masks.
“I urge the public to stay calm and remain vigilant at times. Let us continue to practice personal hygiene and adopt healthy lifestyles,” said Duque.
There are currently 29 persons under investigation in the whole country, 18 of who are in Metro Manila.