MANILA, Philippines — The number of repatriates from the Japanese cruise ship MV Diamond Princess that manifested symptoms of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had risen to 13, a health official said on Sunday.
Assistant Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said all 13 repatriates were in stable condition.
Ten of them have already yielded negative results.
There were 445 Filipinos currently quarantined at Athlete’s Village in New Clark City (NCC) in Tarlac.
“The repatriates in NCC were tested for COVID-19 before they disembarked the Diamond Princess in Japan. They all tested negative then. Our protocol in the NCC quarantine facility, if they showed symptoms [of respiratory illness] then they will be brought to our referral hospital and will be tested,” said Vergeire in a television interview.86 test positive abroad
Meanwhile, Vergeire said the number of Filipinos abroad who had tested positive for COVID-19 rose to 86 on Saturday after another Filipino in Singapore tested positive for the disease.
Vergeire said the 41-year-old Filipino woman was in stable condition at a hospital.
A total of 86 Filipinos abroad have been tested positive for the disease, 80 of them were from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, Vergeire said.
Sixty-four of them remain admitted in various medical facilities in Japan, while 16 others have already recovered and were discharged.
The health official added that there were two Filipinos each who have contracted the disease in the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged the public to observe proper hygiene after having contact with pets such as dogs and cats although there is no evidence yet that they can be infected with COVID-19.
“It is always a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water after contact with pets. This protects you against common bacteria such as E.coli and salmonella that can pass between pets and humans,” WHO said.
Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, for his part, on Sunday called on the Department of Labor and Employment to assess the effects of COVID-19 on local companies after the Philippine Airlines announced that it was laying off 300 of its workers due to revenue losses caused by travel bans related to the virus outbreak.
“Our authorities should prepare for the worst and insulate, not only our people from the virus, but also our industries from being downed by COVID-19,” Angara said in a statement.
“We have been spared from deaths caused by COVID-19, but sadly the pandemic has taken away the jobs of 300 hardworking men and women of our country’s flag carrier,” he said.