Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella. | CDN Digital file
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Edgardo Labella is mulling to ban the entry of Chinese tourists in the city following reports that the feared nobel coronavirus, or the 2019-nCov, has spread in other regions in China outside of its origin in Wuhan City.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recorded at least 26 persons who died of of novel coronavirus, which has infected over 800 persons across China, with additional confirmed cases recorded in Japan, South Korea, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and even France and the United States.
Labella earlier received a backlash from netizens over an article published by CDN Digital “Labella: No ban of tourists from China,” which the mayor belied. He clarified that he did not categorically say that there will be “no ban.”
CDN Digital has changed the headline to “Labella says no ban yet on Chinese tourists even as he assures precautionary measures are in place,” in order to reflect the story better.
The mayor reiterated that he would want a “diplomatic approach” in how to go about setting precautionary measures against the entry of Wuhan’s novel coronavirus in Cebu.
Specifically, Labella said he was waiting for the recommendations of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Health, and the embassies or consulates of the countries already affected by the virus.
“We are ready to ban Chinese tourists anytime. I am ready to issue a ban on tourists anytime,” he told CDN Digital on Saturday, January 25.
Labella said he held back on issuing a ban in order not to make the tourism sector suffer because of a fear-driven ban, especially now that the 5-year-old boy from Wuhan who was quarantined in a hospital in Cebu was found negative of 2019-nCov.
He said the fear must be contained; but the public must remain vigilant.
However, the mayor also pointed out that strict screening measures were now in place at the Mactan Cebu International Airport to ensure that infected persons would not be able to enter Cebu.
Cebu City Health personnel have been sent to assist the MCIA staff in ensuring that the passengers who arrived from affected countries or cities would be thoroughly checked for flu-like symptoms, a manifestation of the novel coronavirus.
The Civil Aviation Board has already banned flights to and from Wuhan City because of the virus, making it less likely for infected people from the source city to enter the Philippines.
Labella assured the public that the city government has been coordinating with the Department of Health in closely monitoring the spread of the virus from China to other countries and how it could affect Cebu./elb