Palace allays fears over China bubonic plague

Roque said only foreigners with a valid reason would be allowed entry to the country. (PCOO file photo)

MANILA – Malacañang on Thursday allayed public fears over a confirmed case of the bubonic plague in China, saying the country’s borders remain closed amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Siniseryoso po natin ‘yan pero ‘wag po kayo mabahala kasi ang pagpasok naman ng mga dayuhan sa Pilipinas ay hindi pa po pinapayagan ng malawakan. Case-to-case basis lang po (We are taking that seriously but don’t worry because the entry of foreigners is only on a case-to-case basis),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual presser.

Roque said only foreigners with a valid reason would be allowed entry to the country.

“Bagamat pupuwede pong mag-request on an individual basis yung may mga merong mga balidong mga dahilan para pumasok ng Pilipinas, sarado pa po ang ating borders (Although foreigners can request, on an individual basis, if they have a valid reason to enter the Philippines, our borders remain closed),” he said.

Earlier, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) formed a sub-technical working group (TWG) “to study and address the management of foreign nationals who will be allowed to enter the Philippines for specific purposes.”

This came after a foreign embassy appealed to allow its nationals with work permits to enter the Philippines.

Roque did not disclose which embassy made the request.

He said that while the IATF-EID has yet to come up with a final decision, foreigners would still be prohibited from entering the country.

Currently, only returning overseas Filipino workers, Filipino citizens, their spouses and dependents, permanent residents, and foreign diplomats are allowed to enter the country.

Bubonic plague is a bacterial infection acquired from the bite of infected fleas. Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, weakness, and one or more swollen, tender, and painful lymph nodes (called buboes).

It was responsible for one of the deadliest epidemics in human history, the Black Death, which killed about 50 million people across Africa, Asia, and Europe in the 14th Century.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is “carefully monitoring” a case of bubonic plague in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region but says it is “not high risk.”

According to WHO, the bubonic plague can be treated using common antibiotics. However, if left untreated, it can have a case-fatality rate of 30 percent to 60 percent.

The report on the confirmed case of bubonic plague came as the world continues to fight the Covid-19, which originated in China’s Wuhan last year.

More than 12 million people worldwide have been infected with Covid-19. In the Philippines, more than 50,000 cases have been recorded as of July 9.