Lawmaker calls for daily, official nCoV bulletin
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday underscored the need for a daily official bulletin on the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) to curb misinformation which, she said could “spread like a deadly virus.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Poe said an “up-to-date, transparent and correct information on the virus is vital.”
“Arming the people with the right information will not leave any space for fake news, misinformation and speculations, which, if left unchecked, can spread like a deadly virus,” she said.
“It is important to have a daily official bulletin that will provide our people with the latest information about the virus,” she added.
Poe previously headed the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media.
The senator also said the government should “sustain” a “massive information campaign” to advise the the public on know how to prevent getting infected by the virus, when to undergo quarantine, where to go for a check-up and what to do in case one has contact with a suspected nCoV -infected individual.
She said the information campaign can be in the form of brochures, comics, electronic billboards, or online, among others.
The Department of Health (DOH) over the weekend announced the second confirmed case of the 2019-nCoV in the Philippines.
The second patient, the first fatality recorded outside of China, was the 44-year-old companion of the Chinese woman, who was the first to test positive for the virus in the Philippines.
DOH confirms 2nd case of nCoV in PH, says patient died Saturday
Both are Chinese nationals from Wuhan City, the epicenter of the outbreak.
