In this Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, photo, workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant against the coronavirus in front of a church in Daegu, South Korea. | AP file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — “Report the whereabouts of the 26 South Koreans from Daegu City immediately.”
Dr. Jaime Bernadas, Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) chief, made this call to owners of hotels and resorts in the region where the 26 South Koreans were possibly staying.
Bernadas said that these hotels or resorts could report any guest coming from Daegu City in South Korea to the nearest Regional Epidemiology Services Unit (RESU).
“We all know our hotel and resort managements are knowledgeable and experienced when it comes to this situation,” said Bernadas in Cebuano.
“But in any case, (if) these South Korean tourists are found to be within their establishments, we’re reminding them to notify our RESU,” he added.
Travel ban on N. Gyeongsang
The Bureau of Quarantine in Central Visayas (BOQ-7) announced that 26 South Korean travelers from Daegu City arrived at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) last February 25, just a few hours before the Philippine government imposed a travel ban on North Gyeongsang province on February 26.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IAFT-EID) implemented travel restrictions on this South Korean province after they took note of the spike in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases there, particularly from Daegu City.
Daegu City is located in North Gyeongsang province, which has a total of 10 cities.
Direct flights between Cebu and Daegu City have been cancelled following the decision of the IAFT-EID. There were 22 direct flights between Cebu and Daegu City operating per week.
South Koreans
Bernadas said the BOQ-7 had already collected information about the South Korean tourists, and had been trying to locate them.
Read more: 26 Koreans who arrived in Cebu from travel ban covered-Daegu now being traced
“The tracing has started since the evening of February 26, and soon, we will be contacting the hotel or resort operators where they are staying for further instructions,” he said.
The DOH – 7 official said hotel and resort management, where the 26 South Korean tourists were believed to be staying, were told to advise their guests to stay in their respective rooms.
“This is a precautionary measure in case they will develop symptoms of the disease,” said Bernadas.
Daegu City is located in North Gyeongsang province, which has a total of 10 cities.
Direct flights between Cebu and Daegu City have been cancelled following the decision of the IAFT-EID. There were 22 direct flights between Cebu and Daegu City operating per week.
Monitoring, not quarantine
Since the 26 foreign nationals arrived in the country before the travel ban in North Gyeongsang province took effect, Bernadas clarified that they would not be subjected to quarantine but only ‘close monitoring’.
“They don’t strictly fall under the case definition of Persons Under Monitoring (PUMs). But if they started showing signs, then they will be referred immediately to the hospital and then classified as a PUI (Patients Under Investigation),” said Bernadas.
Read more: Four more PUIs in Central Visayas discharged
Meanwhile, two more PUIs in Central Visayas were discharged as of today, Thursday (February 27). This brings the total PUIs discharged in the region at 60.
One PUI in Central Visayas is still under observation.
The number of PUIs nationwide has further dropped to 64 as of today as more have been discharged after testing negative of COVID-19.
S. Korean female carrier
In South Korea, more patients have been reported to be infected with COVID-19 which now stands at a total of 1,595 and 13 deaths.
Reports point to a female carrier who has been to Wuhan City, where the outbreak first occurred.
The patient apparently attended multiple gatherings for a mysterious religious group in South Korea before she was admitted and found out to have been infected with the virus.
As a consequence, South Korean officials confirmed that most of the group’s members were also found out to have the disease.
Globally, there are 82, 171 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The death toll is now at 2,804. /dbs