HEALTH SUMMIT. Dagupan Mayor Marc Brian Lim speaks before barangay officials, volunteers, doctors, and representatives of non-government organizations during the Health Summit in the city on Thursday (Feb. 6, 2020). Among the pressing concerns tackled in the event were the prevention and management of the novel coronavirus. (Photo courtesy of the Public Information Office, Dagupan City)
DAGUPAN CITY—Mayor Marc Brian Lim has allayed Dagupeños' fear of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), urging them not to panic amid the reported outbreak of the viral infection in China.
“Do not panic. There is no reason to panic. Dagupan City remains 2019-nCoV-free,” he said in an interview on Friday.
He said the national government is monitoring the situation and Malacañang has created an inter-agency task force, while the city government is doing its part and is mobilizing all sectors for a concerted effort against the 2019-nCoV.
Lim has issued an executive order creating an inter-agency task force to monitor the 2019-nCoV as he requested the barangay officials and private hospitals to immediately report any suspected case to the city government.
He said City Health Office (CHO) officer-in-charge, Dr. Aurora Cuison has issued a circular on how to prevent, manage and control the spread of the virus in schools, workplaces and public convergence points.
“While there is no guarantee that the coronavirus will not enter the city as nobody knows who is infected, especially that the virus is asymptomatic, if in case there will be a suspected case in the city, the Region 1 Medical Center and our private hospitals, medical professionals and practitioners are ready to tackle the case. We assure you that we will react and resolve it,” Lim said during the Health Summit here on Thursday.
The summit was participated in by barangay officials, administrators and representatives of private hospitals in the city, non-government organizations and the local government unit.
“My belief is that together if we continue to communicate and inform ourselves with the necessary facts about this virus, and on how it is spread and how to prevent, control and manage it, we may have zero cases in the city and in Pangasinan. And that is our goal,” Lim said.
“Let us encourage those who have flu-like symptoms to be the one to wear masks to prevent it from spreading to others," he added.
Local health authorities said as of Friday, Pangasinan remains free of the 2019-nCoV.
The Provincial Health Office (PHO) has held an intensive information dissemination drive on the 2019-nCoV in the coastal areas of western Pangasinan.
During the activity, the PHO asked barangay officials to create a task force that will monitor the people, especially the fishermen, who sometimes interact with Chinese fishers in the West Philippine Sea.
In a forum on Thursday, PHO chief, Dr. Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman said although Pangasinan is still 2019-nCoV free with no person under investigation (PUI), the neighboring province of La Union, specifically Agoo town, has three PUIs.
“The three PUIs in Agoo, La Union are quarantined at the Ilocos Training Regional Medical Center in San Fernando City, La Union since Jan. 26,” she said.
The PUIs are Chinese nationals aged one, six, and 11 years old, all from Shanghai, China. They are reportedly currently asymptomatic. (PNA)
