4 Chinese tourists closely watched in Sarangani town

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Four Chinese tourists, including a minor, are being monitored by health authorities at a resort in Glan, Sarangani province, a health official said.

The four, reportedly residents of Fujian, China, showed no indication that they are sick, according to Sarangani provincial health officer Dr. Arvin Alejandro.

He said they sent health personnel to check on the tourists who arrived here on January 30, aboard a bus from Davao City, took a commuter van to Glan before boarding a tricycle to a Glan resort.

Tourists have been frequenting Glan town, known for its powdery white sand beaches earned it the moniker, “Boracay of the South,” particularly barangay Gumasa.

The Chinese tourists include two females and two males, with ages ranging from 10 to 43 years old.

Alejandro said all four passed a thermal scanner at the Clark

International Airport, where they were cleared to take a flight to

Davao City.

They stayed for three days in Davao City before boarding a bus to General Santos City, he added.

The health official said they allowed the four to roam the beach but asked them to wear face masks.

They were also advised to avoid crowded areas and to coordinate with local authorities if they

intended to go elsewhere.

Alejandro said they learned about the four from local residents who reported their presence. The mayor of Glan town immediately reported the presence of the tourists to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).

Earlier, the PHO has mobilized more than a thousand community-based barangay health workers to act as front liners in efforts to prevent the spread of nCoV in the province.

Edited by LZB