Garcia: ‘Wash your hands first before being keyboard warriors’

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on actions against novel coronavirus threat in Cebu. | Rosalie O. Abatayo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Instead of “attacking” the Chinese race or the measures taken by the government against the 2019 novel coronavirus, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has advised the public to “wash your hands.”

Garcia said the public should also help themselves and their community in ensuring that the virus does not penetrate the province.

“Let us first help ourselves. Let us not focus too much in becoming keyboard warriors without even washing our hands,” Garcia said.

“When you feel that you feel some symptoms, be kind to your fellow Cebuanos. Immediately report yourselves,” she added.

Garcia also urged the public to view the health concern in the “right perspective” and to not panic since the 2019-nCoV Acute Respiratory Disease has a lower mortality rate compared to other coronavirus infections.

Global toll on the 2019 novel coronavirus infection as of 8:40 p.m., Feb. 3, 2020 (local time).
(Screenshot from the tracker of JHU CSSE)

As of 8:40 p.m. (Philippine time) of Feb. 3, 2020, there are already 17, 485 cases of 2019-nCoV infection globally. Of the number, 362 have died and 511 patients are reported to have fully recovered.

The case fatality rate, given the numbers as of this writing, is currently at 2.07 percent. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) which hit China from 2002 to 2003 and is also caused by a strain of coronavirus, has a mortality rate of 9.6 percent.

Garcia also called on the Cebuanos to “let the good in us Filipinos come to the surface” amid reports of Chinese individuals being mistreated locally.

“Our enemy is the virus. It is not the race. For once, let the good in us Filipinos come to the surface. not the meanness and the small-mindedness,” the governor said. /rcg