Map of Cebu via Google. Cebu Island is a favorite tourist destination for South Korean tourists
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) said most of the 26 South Koreans in Cebu who flew in from Daegu City last February 25 have returned to their country.
DOH Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire announced this in a live radio interview with dzBB Super Radyo 594 on Saturday, February 29.
Citing information from their counterparts in Central Visayas, Vergeire said “less than 10” South Koreans remain in their respective accommodations in Cebu.
“As of yesterday, most of the South Koreans have returned to their home country. We also received other reports stating that some of them opted to stay in their respective hotels, under self-quarantine,” Vergeire said in Tagalog.
Cebu Daily News Digital tried to reach Dr. Jaime Bernadas, director of DOH-7, for further details but to no avail as of this posting.
Health authorities here tracked down 26 South Koreans who arrived in Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) from Daegu City last February 25 – a day before the government imposed a travel ban on the city, and the entire North Gyeongsang province.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) cited the sharp increase of confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in North Gyeongsang province as the basis for the ban.
Daegu City is part of North Gyeongsang province and the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea.
In earlier interviews, DOH-7 said the tourists have the choice either to undergo self-quarantine if they will prolong their stay in Cebu, or fly back to South Korea.
On Friday morning, February 28, Bernadas disclosed they were unable to locate seven of them in the hotels they were reportedly staying.
However, some five hours later that day, the organizational assembly of general managers of Cebu-based hotels announced they located the whereabouts of the seven Koreans.
According to DOH-7, all 26 South Koreans have shown no symptoms of COVID-19 infection as of February 28./elb