The Cagayan de Oro City government has organized a multiagency task force to address the threat of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) acute respiratory disease as three persons in the city are under observation for showing symptoms of the dreaded disease.
Three persons were put under observation after showing symptoms of the 2019-nCoV, the DOH-10 said last week.
Two of them were confined at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center, while the other is in another undisclosed medical facility.
The Task Force Novel Coronavirus is composed of representatives from the government and private sector and will be headed by the city health officer, Dr. Lorraine Nery.
City Councilor George Goking, chairman of the city’s trade and commerce committee, said the task force will be monitoring and taking appropriate response on individuals who may have been infected with the 2019-nCoV and other issues related to it.
Goking is proposing to lockdown Alwana Business Park, a commercial complex in the city where a significant number of Chinese nationals are residing. The proposal needs to be approved by the task force prior to its implementation, he said.
Reports circulated Sunday that a Chinese national died inside the business park due to the novel coronavirus on (last Friday) January 31
In a report forwarded to the media by the City Information Office (CIO) on Sunday, to verify the information that a Chinese national had died inside the business park due to the novel coronavirus on (last Friday) January 31.
However, a team composed of barangay, police, and city health officials visited the business complex found out that the report was hearsay as no one came forward to corroborate the
Felipe Alano Jr., Bureau of Immigration alien control officer in Northern Mindanao, said Cagayan de Oro has 1,300 Chinese nationals majority of them with work visas.
“We respect their (foreigners) rights to stay here as long as it is legal. But once the DOH and Bureau of Quarantine recommend it, we will implement the deportation process,” he said. (Rommel F. Lopez)