DOH: No tourist-passengers of Saudia Flight 860 visited Palawan resorts, hotels

Saudi Arabia (Saudia) Airlines (Wikipedia photo)

MANILA — The Department of Health–Mindoro (Oriental & Occidental), Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan (DOH-MIMAROPA) declared that there were no passengers on board Saudia Flight 860 that went to Amampulo and Dos Palmas resorts in Palawan.

In an interview with the media, DOH-MIMAROPA Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said that based on the lists of guests that were checked and verified by the health units of DOH in the said areas, no Arabian nationality or tourist passengers from the same flight are presently staying in the mentioned hotels.

Janairo clarified also that he did not confirmed in earlier reports that it was in a private resort in Palawan where the two tourists went as destination spot to visit.

“What was confirmed was there were tourists who wrote in their manifesto that a private resort in Palawan was their destination or place to visit using a private plane. But based on the contact tracing that was conducted, they were not found on both resorts,” Janairo said.

“In coordination with the local government, headed by Cuyo mayor Andrew Ong, our DOH team conducted contact tracing among the residents and guest in the island which all yielded negative result,” Janairo said.

He also said that to date, there were even no reports yet of any case of suspected case of MERSCoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus) in the mentioned resorts.

He further said that even the mayor himself of Cuyo had asked him to declare the place as safe destination as “wrong reports” could affect tourism spot business in the area.

He assured that Palawan remains a safe tourist destination.

He said, however, that since the incubation period of the disease can take place up to a period of 14 days only as mentioned by DOH Secretary Janette L. Garin, they were opting to put stop as well on the contact tracing by Feb. 19.

“By Feb. 21, we will just be conducting monitoring,” he said.

Meanwhile, he assured that DOH health care facilities in MIMAROPA are equipped and ready to extend health treatment for any possible contact tracing for other emerging infectious diseases

“We will continue to undertake protocols on contact tracing as needed to ensure that the virus (of any emerging infectious diseases) will not spread in the provinces of MIMAROPA,” he said.

“The DOH, under the leadership of Secretary Janette L. Garin appeals to all travelers coming from the Middle East to voluntarily seek consultation and testing if they are already exhibiting symptoms of MERSCoV such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

He further advised the public to stay calm and avoid panicking as DOH and its facilities are capable of handling the treatment and management of MERSCoV cases.