DOH considering to recommend wider travel restrictions for people coming from China

January 31, 2020

The Department of Health (DOH) said it is considering to recommend wider travel restriction for people coming from China to minimize the treat of the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV). 

Following the confirmation of the country's first case of nCoV on Thursday, the Philippine government on Friday issued a temporary travel ban covering all travelers from Hubei province, China.    

"The DOH will also be recommending the expansion of the travel ban coverage to more Chinese provinces as new information on the increasing number of cases per region arises," Domingo said. 

For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed disapproval of the decision of thr Philippines to impose a partial travel ban. 

According to WHO Philippines Representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe, this is because of the potential social and economic impact that a travel ban may entail. 

"Based on some facts that we already discussed, WHO does not favor at this point of time imposition of a travel ban. We are not recommending travel restriction," said Abeyasinghe. 

The WHO official said this does not mean the Philippines must follow the former. 

"Suffice to say that our recomendations are not binding on member-states... They are free to make whatever decisions," he said. 

At most, Abeyasinghe said the Philippines must inform the WHO on what covers travel restrictions and justifications why such restrictions will be imposed. 

The DOH reported that there are now a total of 31 recorded persons under investigation  for 2019-nCoV. 

This came after two more PUIs were included in the overall total, a Chinese and an American, who arrived in the country separately. 

This means that there are 23 persons under investigation , who are admitted and isolated, and one person, who died earlier in the week. 

The 31 include the one confirmed positive case of the novel virus that came from Wuhan, China; as well as six which have been discharged after testing negative of the 2019-nCoV. 

The woman found positive of the coronavirus, said DOH Epidemiology Bureau head Ferchito Avelino, she is isolated and being treated at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. 

Her companion, according to Avelino, is also confined at the same hospital in a separate isolation room. 

Avelino said they have begun finding out who were the close contacts of the patient. 

This, he said, include co-passengers in the Cebu Pacific flight they took from Hong Kong to Cebu on January 21, Cebgo flight from Cebu to Dumaguete on January 22, and the Philippine Airlines flight from Dumaguete to Manila on January 25. DMS