PMA temporarily closed to visitors due to nCoV fears

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) has been temporarily closed to visitors because of the threat of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

“As a proactive measure to safeguard the health and safety of our cadets and the general public from the novel coronavirus, the Philippine Military Academy, in coordination with the Baguio local government and health authorities, will be temporarily closed to visitors until further notice,” the premier military academy said in an advisory.

However, parents and relatives may still visit the cadets with the “supervision of the PMA health practitioners.”

The PMA Alumni Association also agreed to postpone its annual alumni homecoming next week to a later date as “a gesture of respect” to the Baguio City government’s directive to suspend crowd-drawing events scheduled for the city in the next three weeks as a preemptive move against nCoV.

Thousands of PMA alumni gather in the city to meet cadets in the annual homecoming of active and retired soldiers at their alma mater.

There are currently three confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection in the country. The Department of Health is also monitoring 215 patients for suspected new virus infection.