POGOs in Metro Manila to enforce measures vs. nCoV

The health official said she will personally visit POGO establishments within Parañaque City, while POGOs in other jurisdictions will be dealt with by their respective local health officials. (Photo: Keenan Constance/Unsplash)

MANILA – Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) have agreed to implement measures against the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) after the death of a 44-year-old Chinese man from the viral disease on Saturday.

In an interview at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) headquarters on Monday, Dr. Olga Virtucio, head of the Parañaque City Health Office, said POGOs have promised to cooperate with local health offices to establish preventive measures against the disease.

Virtucio said that the measures, which were mainly information and education on the disease and its prevention, were necessary due to the lack of trained health professionals in such establishments.

“These are not trained personnel, not necessarily health personnel so we have to guide them accordingly at the local level,” she said.

Aside from putting up measures based on the guidelines of the Department of Health (DOH) on nCoV, Virtucio said there will also be intensified inspections to ensure compliance with local health and sanitation codes.

The health official said she will personally visit POGO establishments within Parañaque City, while POGOs in other jurisdictions will be dealt with by their respective local health officials.

“I was tasked already by our mayor to make sure that everything in terms of prevention and control will be in place, as well as support for our personnel in terms of orientation and guidelines,” Virtucio said.

She added that hotels will also be included in their nCoV information campaign and intensified sanitation inspections to ensure the safety of these establishments.

“All of these will be put in place to make sure that our big establishments, these POGO establishments, will be properly informed.

It is really information and education that will be very important at this time,” Virtucio said.

Earlier, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said the number of persons under investigation for nCoV has more than doubled to 80, with 30 having tested negative, two confirmed positive, and the remaining 48 still pending.

On Saturday, the death of the 2nd confirmed nCoV victim in the country marked the first death from the disease outside of China, the World Health Organization said.