MANILA – A Malacañang official has urged Filipinos to avoid actions that may discriminate people suspected of being infected by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) acute respiratory disease.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar appealed to the public to stay “calm, level-headed, and compassionate,” assuring them that there have already been global efforts to stop the 2019-nCoV epidemic.
“As the issue of a viral outbreak affects everyone, let us not engage in discriminatory behavior, nor act with any bias towards our fellowmen. The reality is everyone is susceptible to the virus,” Andanar said in a statement.
“We should not let fear turn us against one another, especially if these fears are unfounded. We must not stigmatize people, especially when they are at their most vulnerable, but empathize with them instead,” he added.
Discrimination against Chinese tourists has been reported in several countries as well as in the Philippines, amid public fears of acquiring the deadly infectious disease.
The new strain of the virus, which originated in Wuhan City, China, has spread to over a dozen countries, many of which are Southeast Asian nations. The death toll from the 2019-nCoV outbreak in China has already climbed to 259.
Andanar ensured that the Duterte government is already coordinating with other countries and their government health agencies, as well as with international health organizations to contain the 2019-nCoV.
“Preventing the outbreak of the 2019-nCoV is not something we can do alone,” he said. “Let us not resort to panic, sow fear-mongering or spread misinformation. Solidarity, empathy, and cooperation are what we need to successfully take actions that will overcome this health concern.”
Andanar also guaranteed that there is a “concerted effort” from government agencies to implement necessary precautionary measures to prevent the spread of China’s novel coronavirus to many parts of the Philippines.
“With the first case of 2019-nCoV confirmed yesterday and the World Health Organization having declared the virus as a public health emergency of international concern, we have intensified our preventive and control measures. It is a concerted effort being taken by our different agencies, to ensure that an outbreak is avoided,” he said./PN
