Coronavirus contact tracing: DOH contacts 203 co-passengers of infected Chinese couple

MANILA, Philippines – Two hundred three co-passengers of the two Chinese nationals who first tested positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) have been contacted by the Department of Health (DOH), Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday.

“As of yesterday, 203 na sila, ‘yung cinocontact,” Duque said in an interview on dzMM.

Duque was recently grilled at a Senate hearing on the government’s measures on nCoV after reporting that only 17 percent of 331 passengers have been contacted by the DOH.

He reasoned out that airlines refused to share passenger records, hence the low number of passengers contacted.

Meanwhile, former police chief and Senator Ronald Dela Rosa suggested the DOH to tap the Philippine National Police (PNP) to trace the passengers.

“Nagpapasalamat ako na mabilis silang tumugon at sinamahan ang ating mga epidemiologist, quarantine officers saka surveillance officers natin,” Duque said of the police force.

The Chinese couple from Wuhan City is the country’s first and second confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.

The 38-year-old woman is currently in isolation at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila while her 44-year-old male partner expired on Saturday.

GSG