Sarangani town mayor defends travel ban on Chinese tourists
GLAN, Sarangani, Philippines — Mayor Vivien Yap defended her order banning Chinese tourists in this town, called the “Boracay of the South,” as a preventive measure against the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
“The municipality is incompetent to handle [2019-nCoV] cases, and having infirmary-level health care in the locality, urges resort owners not to accept guests, especially coming from China,”Yap said in her Feb. 4 order, which took effect immediately. The Inquirer obtained a copy of the order on Sunday.
She also said the tourists were being treated with “proper respect and comfort.”
The tourists, including a minor, are under quarantine in the provincial capital of Alabel town.
Annabelle Yumang, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH), clarified that persons under monitoring, or persons who have arrived from nCoV-affected countries who did not show any symptoms, were still required to be on quarantine for 14 days.
She said only persons who showed symptoms upon arrival were immediately put in isolation.
Those under observation or who have not shown any flu-like symptoms were issued yellow cards by the Bureau of Quarantine with instructions on how their quarantine should be implemented.
From Clark to GlanThe four tourists were spotted in a beach resort at Barangay Gumasa on Feb. 2 and were brought to a drug treatment facility at Barangay Kawas in Alabel on Feb. 6.
Yumang said regional health authorities were not able to detect their entry here because they came in through a connecting flight from Clark International Airport.
The tourists reportedly spent three days in Davao City before they took the bus to Ge¬neral Santos City and made their way to the Sarangani town of Glan, whose beaches are the province’s top tourist attraction.
ResistanceYap, herself a physician, said the ban on Chinese and other tourists from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau merely followed President Duterte’s orders.
Sarangani Gov. Steve Solon defended Yap, saying she was “just prudent.”
Solon said the tourists were being held as “persons under monitoring” and were being “well taken care of.”
They have three meals a day and are in an air-conditioned room with bedsheets, pillowcases and a television, he added.
Solon also said they followed the DOH protocol of allowing patients under monitoring to roam within a 100-meter radius from their room.
Sarangani health officer Arvin Alejando said the visitors would stay up to Feb. 20, after which they would be allowed to leave if they would not show any symptom of the 2019-nCoV.
The tourists initially resisted being barred by autho¬rities here and called the Chinese consulate general.
But Alejandro said he explained to the consul that the move was in keeping with health protocols. The Chinese consul in turn helped clear things out with the tourists.
Yap directed the local police to set up checkpoints to prevent Chinese tourists from entering the town.
