People wait to buy protective masks at a store in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. Health Secretary Francisco Duque confirmed the Philippines’ first case of a new virus that has infected thousands in China. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
MANILA, Philippines — The city government of Manila has assured its dwellers that no patient infected with the novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV has so far been confined in a hospital operated by the local government.
This announcement came as the Department of Health confirmed on Thursday afternoon the country’s first case of the novel coronavirus, which emerged in Wuhan City, China. DOH said the 38-year-old Chinese tourist from Wuhan is being confined to a government hospital in Manila.
“Wala pa pong napabalita na pasyente na naitala sa ating mga pasilidad pangkalusugan. Sa atin naman sa Manila Health Department, we were assured na wala pa rin pong naitatala,” Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said during a Facebook live on Thursday evening.
(There is yet a report of a patient recorded in our health facilities. As far as our Manila Health Department is concerned, we were assured that there is yet a recorded case of the 2019-nCoV.)
“Ginagampanan ng bawat ahensya ng gobyerno ang kani-kaniyang tungkulin. Kaya po pumanatag tayo, at maniwala tayo na ginagampanan ng pamahalaan na pangalagaan ang kalusugan,” he added.
(Government agencies are doing their respective duties. So let’s be calm and trust that the government is doing its job to protect the public’s health.)
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a press conference earlier that the Chinese woman arrived in the Philippines on January 21 and confined in the hospital on January 25 due to mild cough.
Health authorities also said the Chinese tourist has traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete.
DOH said the patient “is currently asymptomatic.”
READ: DOH confirms first case of novel coronavirus in PH
Further, DOH said there are 29 patients under investigation for the 2019-nCoV, including 18 who are in Metro Manila. One of those being observed, however, died Wednesday due to pneumonia although DOH explained that the patient also tested positive for HIV.
At the same time, Moreno said the local government unit would be distributing face masks to its public schools as it already delivered 100,000 masks to barangays.
“Wear face masks. Katulad ng sinabi ko, medyo maswerte po tayo, kasi napaghandaan ng gobyerno. Mayroon po kaming direktiba, sinabi na binigyan po ng direksyon, na city government to acquire the emergency purchase of face masks,” he added.
(Wear face masks. As I said, we are somewhat lucky because the government has prepared. We have a directive to the city government to acquire the emergency purchase of face masks.)
As of Thursday, January 30, 170 people have already died as there were at least 7,000 people in China who are infected with the novel coronavirus.