The Department of Health (DOH) has sent its epidemiology team in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental to conduct the contact tracing of the individuals that came in contact with the Chinese patient that tested positive for the 2019 -novel coronavirus acute respiratory syndrome (2019-nCoV ARD).
Dr. Jaime Bernadas, director of DOH Region 7, gave this update on Friday afternoon in a press conference he called in Cebu City.
Bernadas clarified earlier reports that the 38-year-old Chinese patient together with another Chinese national arrived at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) at 12 noon last Jan. 21 on board a flight from Hong Kong.
From the international passenger terminal 2, they both transferred to the domestic passenger terminal 1 at MCIA to board their 5 p.m. flight to Dumaguete City on that same day.
They left Dumaguete City on board another local airline and arrived in Manila last Jan. 25.
This was contrary to the reports that the two Chinese patients arrived in Manila last Jan. 21.
With this new information, Bernadas said they will conduct contact tracing that will involve the persons they came in contact with on board the flight.
They will also check the establishments they have visited including the hotels and resorts there.
However, Bernadas has not yet disclosed the number of individuals that will be checked.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental has asked the Negrenses there not to panic since they are doing their best to address this.
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