Government to step up monitoring of sea, air ports

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte yesterday ordered all concerned agencies to intensify the monitoring of sea and air ports to make sure that the new strain of coronavirus will not infect Filipinos as confirmed cases led to deaths and infections in China and several other countries. 

The government needs to undertake all necessary measures to prevent any Filipino from being infected by the disease, he said, describing the novel coronavirus as a “mysterious disease.”  

Duterte said the government is following necessary protocols by the international community on such a major health concern.

However, he is “not yet” inclined to support the recommendations to ban travel of Filipinos to some cities in China.   

“There is no known transmission from human to human… There could be a possibility of contamination… but it’s hard to suspend (travel),” he said.

Asked if the government would repatriate Filipinos in Wuhan, Duterte said it would be a challenge to move Filipinos stranded there, noting that China is discouraging movement in the area to avoid the spread of the virus.  

“It is practically like a prison where you cannot get in and get out of the place. They are discouraging movements in the place itself,” he said.

The government would always work for the welfare of the Filipinos abroad, but necessary precautions should be put in place, he said. 

He said he would leave it to proper agencies to enforce the precautionary measures if there would be Filipinos from Wuhan who want to come home.