By Minerva Newman
CEBU CITY – The Department of Health (DOH-7) in Central Visayas issued updates on the whereabouts of the 26 South Korean that landed at the Mactan Cebu International Airport on February 25.
DOH-7 Regional Director Jaime Bernadas, in an official statement, said the 26 Koreans were immediately processed by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) when they arrived in the country, and were cleared. Passengers from all arriving international flights were screened for elevation in body temperature via the thermal scan at the arrival gate, while their health declaration checklists were also collected.
According to Bernadas, a limited travel ban on North Gyeongsang Province and the City of Daegu was announced by the Inter-agency Taskforce for Emerging Infectious Diseases a day after the Koreans arrived.
Although the 26 travelers arrived before the travel ban, their health declaration cards were retrieved and as per order from DOH Central Office, the travelers were contacted and advised to undergo self-quarantine for 14-days, he stated.
Bernadas added that the DOH Central Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-CVCHD) compiled a list of hotels based on the information from the health declaration checklist to validate the information retrieved.
“It was not for public release since it is unvalidated information. It is a matter of policy by this office not to divulge names of persons, institutions and agency unless warranted by special circumstances,” Bernadas said.
Hotels and resorts in Central Visayas have been coordinating with local health authorities and concerned government agencies to ensure that their guests are safe and have established isolation and referral procedures for guests that may need medical attention, according to Bernadas.
“The close coordination and cooperation of hotels and resorts in implementing preventive measures in their establishments such as temperature check for all entering guests have ensured that sick guests or visitors are referred for medical attention,” he stated.
Bernadas assured the public that it was safe for travelers and guests to continue their business in any hotels and resorts in the region, and that the 26 travelers from Daegu City were all healthy and not manifesting symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
He further reminded the public of existing laws that cover the spread of unverified information to inflict damage or sow confusion are in place and the parties named in any post in public have the legal recourse to seek compensation for damages to their person or businesses, Bernadas added.
“Let us continue to be united in the fight against COVID-19 through regular handwashing, avoidance of large crowds, cough etiquette, wearing of masks when sick and to seek consult when sick at the soonest possible time,” Bernadas said.