MANILA – Amid coronavirus scare, the Bureau of Immigration temporarily stopped the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals.
This move aims to ensure the new virus – officially known as 2019-nCoV – will not enter the country, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement on Tuesday.
“It is also a way to prevent Chinese nationals, who could be carriers of the virus, from visiting the country,” she added.
According to the Jan. 26 situation report of the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 2,014 cases of 2019-nCoV have been reported globally, 1,985 of which were from China.
“We are taking the proactive measure to slow down travel and possibly help prevent the entry of the novel coronavirus,” Morente said.
The 2019-nCoV was first reported in Wuhan City, China on Dec. 31, 2019. Symptoms of this new strain include fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, said the continuous spread of the virus should prompt the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to be on alert for possible evacuations of Filipinos working in Wuhan, China.
According to Gatchalian, it is important for DFA to locate the Filipinos ahead of a possible evacuation and they should also constantly monitor the situation in Wuhan of overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) so that the government can address their needs.
“We have to prepare for any eventuality,” Gatchalian said. “Nakakabahala ang mabilis na pagkalat ng coronavirus sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng mundo at mahalagang may regular din dapat na ibinibigay na balita ang DFA tungkol sa kaligtasan ng ating mga OFW.”
Last Thursday, the World Health Organization called the outbreak an emergency for China, but stopped short of designating it a global emergency.
Coronavirus infections have a wide range of symptoms, including fever, coughing, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Severe cases can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death.
Many of those who died had pre-existing medical conditions or were elderly, authorities have said.
The total number of confirmed cases in China rose about 30 percent to 2,744, about half of them in the central province of Hubei, whose capital is Wuhan.
Cases have also been reported in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States, as well as Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam. No deaths have been reported outside China.
The virus is believed to have originated late last year in a food market in Wuhan that was illegally selling wildlife.
Chinese researchers believe it may have been transmitted to humans from snakes, which in turn may have got it from bats. Both animals were known to have been sold at the market. (With Reuters/PN)
