Foreigners with Covid-19 after PH travel rise to 6: Duque

During a briefing with the House health committee, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said three more foreigners from Japan, Singapore, and South Korea who traveled to the Philippines have acquired Covid-19 after returning to their respective countries. (File photo by Macau Photo Agency/Unsplash)

MANILA – The Department of Health on Wednesday said there are six confirmed cases of foreigners who have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) after traveling to the Philippines.

During a briefing with the House health committee, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said three more foreigners from Japan, Singapore, and South Korea who traveled to the Philippines have acquired Covid-19 after returning to their respective countries.

The DOH earlier confirmed that a Taiwanese, an Australian, and a Japanese national had tested positive for Covid-19 after visiting the Philippines.

“We have six confirmed cases of foreign nationals with history of travel to the Philippines,” Duque said.

Duque said one Japanese who stayed in the Philippines for nine days is currently confined at a hospital in Japan.

Meanwhile, a Singaporean who stayed in the country for only three days and a South Korean who stayed for two months have reportedly been infected with the virus, he noted.

Currently, there are 33 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country. The global death toll from the coronavirus is over 3,800 with more than 110,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

President Rodrigo Duterte has issued a proclamation formally declaring a state of public health emergency in the country.

He also ordered the suspension of all schools in all levels in the National Capital Region from March 10 to 14 to ensure the safety of students from the disease.