Gwen on n-CoV threat: Mandatory quarantine instead of stopping flights from China

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is pushing for a 14-day quarantine of passengers from China. | Photo by Tonee Despojo/Capitol PIO photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Instead of ordering for the halt of flights from China, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said all passengers coming from the country should be subjected to a mandatory quarantine of up to 14 days upon their arrival at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

Governor Garcia said the mandatory quarantine requirement would apply to all passengers arriving either via connecting flights or direct flights from China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

The mandatory quarantine period will be up to 14 days, taking cue from the reported incubation of the 2019 novel coronavirus.

Read more: Cebu City declares ‘state of preparedness’ vs Wuhan coronavirus

Garcia said the province and the Department of Health had identified three facilities where the quaratine would be done.

However, the three facilities could only accommodate up to 250 persons.

The Capitol has already asked private sector representatives on the possibility of them helping to provide more quarantine facilities.

Garcia said the province could not just outrightly ban the entry of the Chinese nationals because “they are not some pieces of meat. They are humans.”

Garcia met with representatives of the Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Quarantine, Cebu Port Authority, Mactan Cebu International Airport and airline companies’ representatives this afternoon, January 30, in line with the 2019-nCoV alert.

Garcia has already announced that she would issue an executive order forming the Anti-coronavirus Task Force constituting the agencies present in this meeting alongside the Department of Education and the tourism sector.

Garcia said the mandatory quarantine is effective once she signs the EO. /dbs.