MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday said they are still verifying reports that a Filipino tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in South Korea.
“Wala pa po tayong nakukuha na accurate information sa South Korea na kaso. Hindi pa po namin iyan sinasama sa datos namin dahil wala pa po kaming nakukuha na official information regarding that,” DOH Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview on Radyo Inquirer.
(We have yet to receive accurate information about the case from South Korea. We will not include this in the official data since we have yet to receive official information regarding that.)
Vergeire assured that the DOH will verify the reports “within the day.”
In a viber message to INQUIRER.net, DFA Assistant Secretary Ed Meñez likewise said that the information “is still being verified.”
Meanwhile, South Korea currenty has the second most number of COVID-19 cases after China with over 600 as of Sunday.
No travel ban has been imposed yet, but the DFA earlier advised Filipinos to “delay non-essential travel” to South Korea after it raised its alert level for the COVID-19.