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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – A travel advisory on the Zika virus was what the Department of Health (DOH) issued, not a travel ban, clarified Director Helen Catalbas of the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 6.
“We should not treat it as a travel ban but only a warning to a specific group of travelers – the pregnant women,” she stressed.
Friday last week, DOH advised pregnant women in any trimester to consider postponing travel to Iloilo.
This should not be treated as a travel ban, stressed Catalbas whose regional office is busy promoting Western Visayas to tourists.
Yesterday in Manila, Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag issued a clarification. He said DOH was not issuing any travel advisory or limiting pregnant women from going to Iloilo.
“We have not recommended that,” he stressed.
Tayag said DOH’s advice was for pregnant women to ask instructions from their doctors if they were living in Zika-affected areas.
In Brazil where Zika infections are rampant, pregnant women were reported to have given birth to babies with microcephaly or smaller heads; the condition can result to developmental issues in newborns.
Catalbas expressed confidence that DOH’s issuances on the Zika infections won’t have adverse effects to the tourist arrivals in the region.
“There are so many tourism-related events lined up. So many travel groups are coming over,” Catalbas said.
So far, her office has not monitored any travel cancellations due to the reported Zika infections in Iloilo City.
As of yesterday, the number of confirmed Zika virus infections in the city rose to seven.
Since 2012, DOH recorded 14 Zika cases – nine so far this year (seven from Iloilo, one in Cebu, one in Laguna province), one in Cebu in 2012, and four foreign nationals who had travel history in the country early this year.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gundo Weiler, World Health Organization (WHO) country representative, said Zika has affected 19 countries, including the Philippines.
“We know that there is a risk… we know a lot of travel and there is likelihood of Zika spread. More cases confirmed is also reflecting DOH has been testing more pro-actively recently,” Weiler said yesterday.
WHO is working closely with DOH on the Zika action plan which was revised at the beginning of the year, he added. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
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