By Calvin Cordova  CEBU CITY — Stay calm but do not be complacent. This was the advice of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) after the confirmation of the first case of 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) in the country. (MANILA BULLETIN) DOH-7 Regional director Dr. Jaime Bernadas said staying healthy and observing proper hygiene are the best way to combat the coronavirus, which he described as “self-limiting that goes away after several days.” “The public should be vigilant. If you have neighbors who recently traveled and are showing symptoms, report to health authorities right away. Rest assured, there are contingency plans to address the problem,” Bernadas said. “We will face this squarely. This is just another virus,” added Bernadas in a press briefing Friday at the Cebu City Hall. A 38-year-old Chinese female who arrived in Manila on Jan. 21 tested positive for the 2019-nCoV. She reportedly traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete City. Bernadas said the DOH-7 was tasked by its national office to conduct contact tracing. “We will go to those places that she visited. We will check the people she encountered and we will give advice accordingly.” Bernadas also said the DOH-7 has organized an incident command system and an augmentation team will be sent by the DOH central office. “We will need additional information to move forward and have an effective strategy. We will mobilize our surveillance team,” he added. Bernadas attended an inter-agency meeting last Thursday at the Cebu Provincial Capitol. “The governor will be issuing an executive order requiring arriving Chinese tourists to undergo a 14-day quarantine. There are plans on how we will go about the quarantine. We are finalizing the criteria for mandatory quarantine,” Bernadas said. In Negros Oriental, Gov. Roel R. Degamo has directed the Provincial Health Office to coordinate with DOH-Central Office through DOH-7 to find out the personal circumstances of the patient. “We also contacted the Provincial Tourism Unit for data pertaining to the arrival and itinerary of the patient while in Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental,” Bimbo Miraflor, the province’s information officer, said in a statement. “We would like to assure the public that your Provincial Government is on top of the situation. The provincial leadership appeals to the public for sobriety and cooperation. Governor Degamo reassures the public that our provincial hospital, with its isolation areas, is ready to respond to the disease,” Miraflor added.