The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday stressed that the prices of face masks should remain unchanged amid the probe on suspected cases of a new strain of coronavirus in the Philippines.
DOH Undersecretary and Spokesperson Eric Domingo warned retailers not to take advantage of the situation and reminded them that the price freeze is still in effect.
“Bawal pong manamantala ‘pag po mayroong sakuna. [May] price freeze po tayo,” Health Undersecretary and Spokesperson Eric Doming told ABS-CBN News.
The prices of face mask increased following the ashfall brought by the eruption of Taal volcano on January 12.
DOH said Tuesday it was monitoring a 5-year-old child from central Chinese city of Wuhan who tested positive for unspecified pancoronavirus.
The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which originated in a seafood market in Wuhan has spread to neighboring Asian countries such as Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
Domingo added that there is a very low chance that the virus could infect people with no history of travel to China.
Meanwhile, China confirmed Tuesday that 2019-nCov can spread through human transmission.
