MANILA, Philippines—The Presidential Security Group (PSG) has instructed its personnel on duty within the Malacañang complex to wear face masks as a preventive step against the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
In a statement Friday, PSG spokesperson Capt. Zeerah Blanche Lucrecia said they have also recommended to the Internal House Affairs Office to temporarily suspend museum tours in the presidential palace.
“This is a preemptive measure to ensure that the seat of government is secured from this biological threat,” Lucrecia said.
Health officials reported Thursday the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection, prompting President Duterte to order the temporary ban on the entry of travelers from the Chinese province of Hubei, the epicenter of the nCoV outbreak.
China has reported 9,692 confirmed cases of the new virus with a death toll of 213 as of posting time.
Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. In Hubei alone, there are 4,903 cases, including 162 deaths.