Chinese official: Coronavirus scare has far reaching effects

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The current health situation on the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) may take a toll not only on tourism but also on other businesses, culture and education.

Consul General Jia Li of the Chinese Consulate in Cebu, in a press conference on Wednesday, said flights from China bound for destinations outside the country, including Cebu, may halt because Chinese nationals have already ceased traveling due to the heath threat.

“It is a nature of the Chinese that in difficult times, they would rather stay at home with their families rather than go out,” Consul General Jia said in Chinese.

Even with the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year last Jan. 25, Consul General Jia said all parties and public gatherings have been canceled to minimize the movements there.

The Chinese Consulate official also said the People’s Republic of China government has already ordered for the halt of all group tours not only going to the Philippines but also to other parts of the world.

In 2018, around 1.3 million Chinese nationals visited the Philippines. Over half of the number, or over 650,000 individuals, came to Cebu. Close to 700,000 Chinese tourists also came to the province in 2019.

Consul General Jia said the Philippines, particularly Cebu, is a favorite destination of the Chinese people because of the country’s rich culture, food, and pristine beaches.

Consul General Jia has assured that Chinese airlines have already instituted strict precautionary measures in the airports in China.

He said that passengers who have body temperatures of more than 37.5 degrees Celsius are automatically denied boarding in the airplanes and are subjected to quarantine.

Considering that incubation period of the 2019-nCoV spans up to 14 days and symptoms may not be manifested during this time, Consul General Jia said all passengers in Chinese airports bound for trips abroad are being asked to fill out a “very detailed” questionnaire pertaining to their travel history and the people they have recently contracted with.

With the health threat, Consul General Jia said it may affect even the business sector since there are a lot of investors who would want to invest in businesses here.

The trainings and seminars sponsored by the Chinese government for foreign nationals, Consul General Jia said, have been postponed to later dates due to the health situation. /rcg