Chinese Consul: Ph is China’s ‘true friend’ amid Wuhan coronavirus threat

Consul General Jia Li of the Chinese Consulate in Cebu |CDND Photo/Rosalie Abatayo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippines “has proven to be a true friend to China” amid the threat of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), also known as Wuhan coronavirus.

Consul General Jia Li of the Chinese Consulate in Cebu thanked the Filipino community for keeping a “warm heart” for his countrymen in the difficulties that they are facing due to the 2019-nCoV.

Consul General Jia said they never received any form of discrimination from the Filipinos despite that the 2019-nCoV  that originated in Wuhan, a city in China.

“During your most difficult periods, you’ll know who are your real friends. The Philippines is a real friend,” Consul General Jia said in a press conference on Wednesday, January 29, 2020.

The Chinese official also thanked the officials from the Philippine’s Department of Health (DOH) for the care they extended to the five-year-old boy from Wuhan City who was the first suspected case of the 2019-nCoV in Cebu.

Jia said the family of the child, who is now discharged from the hospital in Cebu City where he was treated, was even moved to tears when DOH-Central Visayas (DOH-7) Regional Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas called them up at 11 p.m. on January 24 to inform them that the child tested negative from the 2019-nCoV based on the results from an Australian laboratory.

“The family of the child wants to relay their thanks to the DOH, the hospital and the medical personnel for taking care of them. They took time to help the child and even got samples from him and had it tested in Australia. The DOH was very professional and very responsible,” Jia said.

Jia also assured that the Chinese government is doing everything it can to contain the virus.

He urged the public not to panic and rather take all precautionary measures that they can to prevent contracting the 2019-nCoV.

He said that with the current actions being done by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Chinese government, they are positive that the threat of the 2019-nCoV will soon be addressed.

“We are positive that we can fight this but we need time,” the consul general said./elb