Duterte in tip-top shape, PSG assures
Published Mar 12, 2020 12:00 am
By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte remains in good condition and will continue his work despite the surge of coronavirus cases in the country, Presidential Security Group (PSG) chief Col. Jesus Durante III said Thursday.
(NCRPO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The PSG, however, will enforcer stricter health protocols, such as no-touch policy and regular disinfection of Malacañang offices, to keep the President free from the coronavirus infection, according to Durante.
Duterte is expected to undergo testing for the new coronavirus on Thursday after some Cabinet members went on quarantine after possible exposure to infected persons.
“There’s nothing to worry about the President’s health,” Durante said in a radio interview.
“The President is doing well. He's really good. Continue pa rin ang trabaho niya (He will continue his work) despite this virus, declared pandemic by the World Health Organization but the PSG is enforcing stricter measures to prevent itong Presidente at First Family (the President and the First Family) from being contaminated by the virus,” he added.
Earlier, Malacañang confirmed that the President has displayed no symptoms of the virus but will still undergo testing to ensure he is fit and healthy to perform his duties. Duterte's former aide and now Senator Christopher Go will also take the test.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the public can expect to see the President’s test result.
He said health officials deemed it was best for the President to undergo testing since he regularly engages with his Cabinet members.
Panelo said the President's coronavirus test is considered a "preemptive step" upon the advice of health officials. He noted that the President has regularly engaged with Cabinet members, some of whom decided to undergo self-quarantine following exposure to those infected with the virus.
In his remarks Thursday, Durante said Malacañang, including the halls and offices frequented by the President, will undergo cleaning and disinfection on Thursday.
He said the Palace personnel may be advised to temporarily vacate the area that will disinfected. They can return to their work areas an hour after the safe and environment-friendly disinfection.
The disinfection of Malacañang will be implemented regularly, the PSG group commander added.
The PSG will likewise continue to enforce the "no-touch" policy to ensure the President's health, according to Durante.
He said people who will near the President in meetings and other events will be thoroughly screened and tested for any coronavirus infection. Health and travel decoration forms are distributed by the Palace to people attending the President's events in and outside the Palace.
Durante said the President’s large public engagements will likewise be assessed whether or not these will be canceled for public safety, according to the PSG chief.
The President's scheduled trip to Boracay on Thursday has been postponed following the coronavirus situation in the country.
As of Wednesday, the country's confirmed coronavirus cases have already reached 49, including two fatalities.
A public health emergency has been declared by the President across the country to step up efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The President had earlier refused to follow the no-touch policy enforced by the PSG, saying he would continue to shake hands with people and attend public events. But he has assured the public that the nation could defeat the threat posed by the deadly virus.
China to help PH
As this developed, China is willing to extend assistance to the Philippines to battle the outbreak of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Malacañang announced Thursday in the wake of the surge of infections in the country.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian made the offer after President Duterte cited Chinese President Xi Jinping’s handling of the health emergency during their meeting at the Palace last Wednesday.
“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Wednesday received China Ambassador Huang Xilian, stressing the importance of continued economic cooperation as well as working together to addresses challenges posed by the spread of COVID-19,” a Palace press statement read.
“Huang expressed solidarity with the Philippine government in its efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. The Chinese ambassador also conveyed China’s readiness to extend assistance,” it said.
In the meeting with the Chinese envoy, President Duterte also offered the country's sympathy and solidarity with the people of China affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
The government recently donated 52 boxes containing emergency medical and food supplies for the people of virus-hit Wuhan in Hubei province.
READ MORE: Palace: China willing to aid PH in fight vs. COVID-19
The Russian Federation, through its Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev also offered to donate a medicine that it used in treating coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients in Russia.
Khovaev told the media that Russia has successfully tried an existing medicine that they had developed called “Cicloferon” for cough, flu, fever, and others which they tried on coronavirus patients and found to be very effective.
“We have no more cases of COVID-19 so far,” he said.
The Ambassador offered to donate this medicine to the Philippines and should be considered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health (DOH) as treatment, according to the country’s procedures and protocols.
Khovaev said Cicloferon is an over-the-counter medicine which the Russian medical practitioners prescribed to those who were infected with COVID-19 and recovered after taking it.
“Our medicine is as potent as our weapons,” he added and reminded Filipinos, particularly the Cebuanos, not to panic because Russsia is ready to supply the country with the medicine which is highly-effective for the treatment of patients infected with COVID-19.
READ MORE: Russia offers PH cure for COVID-19
Meanwhile, The coronavirus detection kit developed by scientists from the University of the Philippines (UP) are now in stock, enough for around 6,000 tests, according to UP President Danilo Concepcion.
The SARS COV-2 detection kit being manufactured and stockpiled by Manila HealthTek, Inc. as GenAmplify COVID-19 detection kit will cost around P1,320 per test, in contrast to the foreign kit, which costs around P8,500 per test.
“Around 200 GenAmplify™ kits can be produced in a week, and enough kits are in stock now for around 6,000 tests, with more orders for around 20,000 tests already expected,” Concepcion said.
The detection kit was developed by UP Philippine Genome Center (PGC) Deputy Director Dr. Raul Destura and other scientists and researchers from the UP Manila National Institutes of Health and the PGC. It was funded by the Department of Science and Technology through its Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.
Destura said that countries all over the world have the “same starting point” and “same timeline” in developing specific diagnostic kits for COVID-19. This was after China made the genome sequencing of novel coronavirus publicly available last January 12.
”We have the responsibility to help the government in providing technology for the country. It was not easy but we did our best because we want to show (other countries) that we can also do it here to address the needs of our country,” Destura said. “We are one with the government in providing this technology to make it accessible to all.”
“We just need two to three weeks of field validation for the testing kit to be released to a full commercial platform. We just need a little patience. Our main intention is public safety and service to the community and our country,” he explained.
Concepcion said the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) issuance of a certificate of exemption for the kit will ensure that the locally produced technology will be made available to a greater number of Filipinos at much less cost. (With reports from Argyll B. Geducos, Minerva BC Newman, and Ellalyn de Vera-Ruiz)
READ MORE: 6,000 UP-developed COVID-19 test kits now in stock
(NCRPO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The PSG, however, will enforcer stricter health protocols, such as no-touch policy and regular disinfection of Malacañang offices, to keep the President free from the coronavirus infection, according to Durante.
Duterte is expected to undergo testing for the new coronavirus on Thursday after some Cabinet members went on quarantine after possible exposure to infected persons.
“There’s nothing to worry about the President’s health,” Durante said in a radio interview.
“The President is doing well. He's really good. Continue pa rin ang trabaho niya (He will continue his work) despite this virus, declared pandemic by the World Health Organization but the PSG is enforcing stricter measures to prevent itong Presidente at First Family (the President and the First Family) from being contaminated by the virus,” he added.
Earlier, Malacañang confirmed that the President has displayed no symptoms of the virus but will still undergo testing to ensure he is fit and healthy to perform his duties. Duterte's former aide and now Senator Christopher Go will also take the test.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the public can expect to see the President’s test result.
He said health officials deemed it was best for the President to undergo testing since he regularly engages with his Cabinet members.
Panelo said the President's coronavirus test is considered a "preemptive step" upon the advice of health officials. He noted that the President has regularly engaged with Cabinet members, some of whom decided to undergo self-quarantine following exposure to those infected with the virus.
In his remarks Thursday, Durante said Malacañang, including the halls and offices frequented by the President, will undergo cleaning and disinfection on Thursday.
He said the Palace personnel may be advised to temporarily vacate the area that will disinfected. They can return to their work areas an hour after the safe and environment-friendly disinfection.
The disinfection of Malacañang will be implemented regularly, the PSG group commander added.
The PSG will likewise continue to enforce the "no-touch" policy to ensure the President's health, according to Durante.
He said people who will near the President in meetings and other events will be thoroughly screened and tested for any coronavirus infection. Health and travel decoration forms are distributed by the Palace to people attending the President's events in and outside the Palace.
Durante said the President’s large public engagements will likewise be assessed whether or not these will be canceled for public safety, according to the PSG chief.
The President's scheduled trip to Boracay on Thursday has been postponed following the coronavirus situation in the country.
As of Wednesday, the country's confirmed coronavirus cases have already reached 49, including two fatalities.
A public health emergency has been declared by the President across the country to step up efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The President had earlier refused to follow the no-touch policy enforced by the PSG, saying he would continue to shake hands with people and attend public events. But he has assured the public that the nation could defeat the threat posed by the deadly virus.
China to help PH
As this developed, China is willing to extend assistance to the Philippines to battle the outbreak of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Malacañang announced Thursday in the wake of the surge of infections in the country.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian made the offer after President Duterte cited Chinese President Xi Jinping’s handling of the health emergency during their meeting at the Palace last Wednesday.
“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Wednesday received China Ambassador Huang Xilian, stressing the importance of continued economic cooperation as well as working together to addresses challenges posed by the spread of COVID-19,” a Palace press statement read.
“Huang expressed solidarity with the Philippine government in its efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. The Chinese ambassador also conveyed China’s readiness to extend assistance,” it said.
In the meeting with the Chinese envoy, President Duterte also offered the country's sympathy and solidarity with the people of China affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
The government recently donated 52 boxes containing emergency medical and food supplies for the people of virus-hit Wuhan in Hubei province.
READ MORE: Palace: China willing to aid PH in fight vs. COVID-19
The Russian Federation, through its Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev also offered to donate a medicine that it used in treating coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients in Russia.
Khovaev told the media that Russia has successfully tried an existing medicine that they had developed called “Cicloferon” for cough, flu, fever, and others which they tried on coronavirus patients and found to be very effective.
“We have no more cases of COVID-19 so far,” he said.
The Ambassador offered to donate this medicine to the Philippines and should be considered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health (DOH) as treatment, according to the country’s procedures and protocols.
Khovaev said Cicloferon is an over-the-counter medicine which the Russian medical practitioners prescribed to those who were infected with COVID-19 and recovered after taking it.
“Our medicine is as potent as our weapons,” he added and reminded Filipinos, particularly the Cebuanos, not to panic because Russsia is ready to supply the country with the medicine which is highly-effective for the treatment of patients infected with COVID-19.
READ MORE: Russia offers PH cure for COVID-19
Meanwhile, The coronavirus detection kit developed by scientists from the University of the Philippines (UP) are now in stock, enough for around 6,000 tests, according to UP President Danilo Concepcion.
The SARS COV-2 detection kit being manufactured and stockpiled by Manila HealthTek, Inc. as GenAmplify COVID-19 detection kit will cost around P1,320 per test, in contrast to the foreign kit, which costs around P8,500 per test.
“Around 200 GenAmplify™ kits can be produced in a week, and enough kits are in stock now for around 6,000 tests, with more orders for around 20,000 tests already expected,” Concepcion said.
The detection kit was developed by UP Philippine Genome Center (PGC) Deputy Director Dr. Raul Destura and other scientists and researchers from the UP Manila National Institutes of Health and the PGC. It was funded by the Department of Science and Technology through its Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.
Destura said that countries all over the world have the “same starting point” and “same timeline” in developing specific diagnostic kits for COVID-19. This was after China made the genome sequencing of novel coronavirus publicly available last January 12.
”We have the responsibility to help the government in providing technology for the country. It was not easy but we did our best because we want to show (other countries) that we can also do it here to address the needs of our country,” Destura said. “We are one with the government in providing this technology to make it accessible to all.”
“We just need two to three weeks of field validation for the testing kit to be released to a full commercial platform. We just need a little patience. Our main intention is public safety and service to the community and our country,” he explained.
Concepcion said the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) issuance of a certificate of exemption for the kit will ensure that the locally produced technology will be made available to a greater number of Filipinos at much less cost. (With reports from Argyll B. Geducos, Minerva BC Newman, and Ellalyn de Vera-Ruiz)
READ MORE: 6,000 UP-developed COVID-19 test kits now in stock