Quarantine zone in New Clark City a health risk? Duque tells Capas mayor not to worry

MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has assured the mayor of Capas town in Tarlac that its residents would not be put at risk even as the Athlete’s Village at New Clark City would be used as a quarantine zone for Filipinos from China.

“He [Duque] is contacting the mayor and explaining to the mayor, of course, the agency of the government is going to do everything to make sure that all the OFWs [Oversease Filipino Workers] coming in will not come in contact to the community,” Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo told reporters at the DOH main office.

“[The government] not only the [Department of Health] will make necessary arrangements to make sure that there is no risk in the community,” he added.

Domingo said this in reaction to Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan’s request to President Duterte and Duque to reconsider the plan to use the Athletes’ Village as a quarantine zone for OFWs from Wuhan city of Hubei province in China.

Catacutan said the DOH did not consult their local government over the decision.