9 persons under monitoring for nCoV in Kidapawan City

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Cotabato, Philippines — Nine persons have been placed under monitoring here after traveling to places affected by the novel Corona Virus (nCoV), a top local official said.

Lawyer Jose Paulo Evangelista, chief of the city’s information department, said the City Health Office did not disclose from which countries the nine PUMs had traveled, but CHO personnel were now closely monitoring their health.

He also assured the public the city government was doing everything to prevent the spread of the disease.

“We call on the public to be calm and be vigilant,” Evangelista said.

Dr. Hamir Hechanova, the city chief of hospital, said the nine PUMs had not shown any flu-like symptom, so far.

The local government was forced to issue the statement after reports went around the social media about an owner of a business firm here who allegedly traveled to China and was investigated for nCoV.

A business firm, however, issued a statement that those reports were fake.

Mayor Joseph Evangelista called an emergency meeting to clear the issue and assure the public on Sunday, only a day before on the eve of the city’s 22nd charter day.

The city has postponed some of the activities lined up for the four-day celebration because of the clamor among some school administrators and the tourism office, Evangelista said. Among those put on hold were the drum and lyre competitions and the thematic parade.

Evangelista said the city would put up hand sanitation stations in different areas within the city plaza for visitors joining the celebration.