MANILA, Philippines — A Filipina migrant worker in Hong Kong who was quarantined due to suspected novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection has been released.
In a tweet Friday, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay, who handles civilian security and consular concerns, said the Filipina showed no symptoms of nCoV and was released after the 14-day quarantine period.
“Good news naman! The first Filipina OFW quarantined in HK has been released by the HK Health Dept as she remains healthy and showed no symptoms of nCoV infection after the 14-day quarantine period,” Dulay wrote.
Good news naman! The first Filipina OFW quarantined in HK has been released by the HK Health Dept as she remains healthy and showed no symptoms of nCoV infection after the 14-day quarantine period. @teddyboylocsin #DFAinAction
— Dodo Dulay (@dododulay) February 7, 2020
The Filipina who was released was the first of two domestic workers quarantined in Hong Kong for exposure to the new coronavirus spreading from China.
According to reports, the her 39-year-old male employer died due to complications of the new coronavirus strain.
Her employers had traveled to Wuhan, the capital city of the central Chinese province of Hubei and the epicenter of the outbreak that has already killed over 600 people and infected more than 30,000 others.
The Filipina, according to Dulay, is now resting in her employer’s home which has been thoroughly sanitized by the Hong Kong health department.
In the Philippines, health officials are currently monitoring over a hundred patients for possibly carrying the new coronavirus strain.
The Department of Health confirmed the third case of an infected person on Wednesday, while one fatality was reported over the weekend — the first outside of China.