"We cannot afford to be complacent."
"We cannot afford to be complacent."
Let’s just hope it’s not too late to contain the deadly coronavirus which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is on the brink of turning into a full-blown global pandemic, affecting at least 60 countries including the Philippines.
In the country, the Department of Health (DOH) has so far done a commendable job isolating the three confirmed cases of COVID, all involving Chinese travelers from Wuhan. There is no confirmed case of person-to-person transmitted infection in the country just yet as of this writing.
The DOH is doing a Herculean job attending to 445 repatriated Filipinos from the ill-fated cruise ship Diamond Princess in Japan currently under quarantine at the Athletes’ Village in New Clark City, Tarlac. At least 13 reportedly showed symptoms of COVID-19 but 10 tested negative while the three are awaiting laboratory results.
We cannot afford to be complacent in view of the fast-increasing cases overseas, particularly in China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Iran and Singapore.
Thanks to DOH Secretary Francisco Duque for reminding some of us who apparently needed a reality check in the face of this global health crisis. Duque reiterated that the public of should avoid, as much as possible, attending large gatherings unnecessarily where there may be “increased risk” of coronavirus infection.
For example, concerned government officials and business entities must have come to their senses and cancelled on the last minute a month-long nationwide shopping mall sale designed to make the country a shopping mecca. The overzealous business partnerships would have made a killing with the supposed sale to attract hordes of foreign and domestic tourists but what if that would expose our unsuspecting people from the contagious disease.
Unfortunately, Health authorities now have to track down and monitor the whereabouts of 26 Koreans who traveled to the country from Daegu City, the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea. Immigration officials said they had not received the official travel ban order on Korea announced by Malacañang on the same day the group arrived.
Clearly, there was lack of coordination between the member agencies in the government task force on coronavirus. Filipino tourists were barred from heading for Korea and yet Koreans apparently fleeing Daegu and other COVID-19-stricken localities were admitted in the country outright.
Why is the travel ban not coordinated with airline companies, who canceled several flights to and Korea on this weekend? We must guard our borders and international ports against entry of possible COVID-19 carriers.
Concerned government agencies and local government units (LGUs) must seriously and very closely work with the DOH in containing the coronavirus before it’s too late.
In fact, it’s about time for the Congress, which has been fixated with the ABS-CBN franchise issue, to help formulate measures and organize concerted efforts to prepare for the imminently devastating health catastrophe in the same bayanihan spirit with which we confronted the calamity brought by an unpredictable Taal Volcano.
Perhaps, we could also join in prayer this eight-year-old girl, Dastine Danielle, who begs God for Divine Intervention in helping us find a cure for the coronavirus and vaccine to stop its further spread.
Check this out: https://youtu.be/VvVrYEf_Hw0