Zamboanga tightens screening for deportees, passengers from Malaysia to keep nCoV at bay

ZAMBOANGA CITY—-The City Health Office here is closely monitoring arrivals, including by Filipinos thrown out of Malaysia, to prevent a breach that could bring in the deadly novel corona virus (nCoV).

Dulce Miravite, city health officer, said that an inter-agency committee has been reactivated to address growing concerns on the virus, citing positive cases of infection in Malaysia.

“There is no lockdown imposed here, but we are going to be stricter with our measures, especially in quarantine,” Miravite said.

Ivan Eric Salvador, information officer of the regional Department of Social and Welfare Development Office (DSWD) office, said that the deportation of Filipinos from Malaysia continues.

He said there were times when the city receives one deportee a month “but for the quarter, we have received about 1,000 deported Filipinos.”

Salvador said deportees are immediately quarantined to be checked by personnel from the Department of Health and Bureau of Quarantine for signs of respiratory or mental illnesses. “If positive, they are immediately brought to medical center,” he said.

Malaysia has registered at least four confirmed cases of nCoV—three Chinese nationals and a Malaysian who had been to Wuhan, the city in China’s Hubei province that has become the virus’ epicenter.

Miravite said Zamboanga has no confirmed or suspected case of nCoV. “We hope to keep it that way,” she said.

Entry points like seaports, airports and even bus terminals have been manned by police, soldiers and health workers mainly to screen travelers and give immediate medical attention to those who needed it.

Miravite said some nCoV carriers are “asymptomatic” or don’t show signs of the deadly disease.

Travelers who came from China were advised to “isolate themselves,” Miravita said.

“There’s 14 days of incubation, and better if they secure immediate help so we can conduct test and medical aid,” she said.

A passenger liner plies the city and the port city of Sabah, Malaysia.

Aside from deportees, passengers disembarking at ports, airports or bus terminals are also checked and quarantined if needed as a “precautionary measure to avoid getting this virus.”

Edited by TSB