P1-B supplemental budget for nCoV response sought

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker is seeking to file a bill that would provide a supplemental budget amounting to around P1 billion to be used in the country’s response measures amid the threat posed by the novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV.

Quezon Rep. Angelina “Helen” Tan, who chairs the House committee on health, said the budget is in accordance with the proposal of the Department of Health (DOH).

The proposed budget, Tan said, would be used to beef up the budget requirements of the following DOH offices:

-Disease and Prevention Control Bureau for logistics and commodities
-Epidemiology Bureau for its surveillance
-Health Facility Development Bureau for its health facility preparedness
-Health Emergency Management Bureau for its quick response
-Bureau of Quarantine
-Health Promotion and Communications Service
-Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM)

“It is about time that Congress approved a supplemental budget to fight the spread of nCoV in the country and protect the Filipinos from this deadly virus,” Tan said in a press briefing in Quezon City.

In a text message, Tan said that she would file the bill on Monday or Tuesday morning.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Sunday confirmed the second case of the virus in the country—a 44-year old Chinese man who was admitted to San Lazaro Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila for pneumonia after experiencing fever, cough, and sore throat.

Duque said the Chinese man passed away on Saturday, February 1, making him the first case of nCoV death outside China.

The Chinese man was the companion of the 38-year old Chinese woman who was earlier confirmed as the first case of nCoV in the country.

President Rodrigo Duterte, meanwhile, has ordered a temporary travel ban on visitors from mainland China as well as Macau and Hong Kong.

The ban, however, does not cover Filipino citizens and holders of permanent resident visa issued by the Philippine government.

Filipinos and holders of permanent resident visa coming  from any place in China and its special administrative regions shall undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine.