Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III lamented how several provinces opposed the plan of the government to put a quarantine center for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) coming from Wuhan, China.
Duque said that it seems that the ‘Bayanihan’ spirit of the Filipinos already lost amid the 2019-novel coronavirus scare.
“Nakakalungkot… lahat ng pinuntahan ko puros na lang kontra, kontra yung komunidad. Sabi ko ‘Sinong mangangalaga sa kapwa nating Pilipino kundi Pilipino din?'” said in a radio interview on Friday.
The health secretary tried to convince the residents near the places being eyed as a quarantine site like Capas, Tarlac should not worry about being infected by 2019 nCoV.
“I-lolock down naman nila, wala namang problema sa pangamba na baka malagay sa alanganin ang mga komunidad,” he said.
He insisted that it’s impossible for the nCoV to reach far places because the mode of transmission of the virus is not airborne but respiratory droplets.
"Huwag ho kayong mangangamba." Tiniyak ni Health Secretary Francisco Duque na hindi makakahawa sa mga karatig-lugar ang mga Pinoy mula Hubei, China na iku-quarantine sa Athletes' Village sa New Clark City. #nCoV #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/1Cak4RWLTb
— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) February 7, 2020
“Wala pong tsansa na ito ay makahawa sa mga kababayan natin o sa mga karatig barangay o bayan natin, wag po kayong mangamba,” he said.
Duque said the President chose the Athlete’s Village in New Clark City as a quarantine site because it’s an isolated area and also complete with facilities.
However, the Mayor of Capas, Tarlac, the nearest municipality near the New Clark City opposed the plan of the government amid fears that his people might get infected by 2019-nCoV.
“We acknowledge that the Bases Conversion and Development Authority has full jurisdiction over NCC, but I, as the Mayor of Capas, appeal in behalf of all Capaseños to our dear President Rodrigo Duterte and DOH Secretary Francisco Duque to consider another place or facility as isolation area,” Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan said on Friday.