MANILA, Philippines (Update 1: March 18, 2020; 10:10 p.m.) — One ranking member of the Health department tested positive for novel coronoavirus disease (COVID-19) on Tuesday, the department confirmed.
Although no name was mentioned, the department in a statement late Tuesday night said that the member was a senior official; a director, to be specific.
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In their statement issued 10:30 p.m., the Department of Health assured officials and staff that their safety and health was "top priority."
Likewise, they said that offices were disinfected and that close contacts of the newest patient were informed to undergo home quarantine and monitoring.
Health workers at the frontlines day in and day out are among those most exposed to the virus.
No member of the department's Executive Committee has tested positive for the pathogen, the statement said.
Close contact
On Wednesday night, the Department of Health in a new release assured the public that as long as citizens were not within two meters from the patient, they were not classified as close contact.
According to the statement issued 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the department was firm on maintaining the confidentiality of the person involved but assured the public that the appropriate measures were taken.
The DOH also reiterated its screening tool which looks at three main factors before placing an individual under Patient Under Investigation status:
- Signs and symptoms: Does the person exhibit any respiratory symptoms linked to the novel coronavirus? Does the person have a fever over 38.0 degrees?
- Travel history in the past fourteen days to areas with issued travel restrictions
- History of exposure to confirmed cases or other PUIs
As of Wednesday night, the Health department has not responded to Philstar.com's inquiries as to whether or not the new patient from the DOH was included in the department's earlier count or was a new case altogether.
As of this writing, there are a total of 202 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country after the Department of Health confirmed 15 new patients that same day.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier on Tuesday evening declared a nationwide state of calamity in the Philippines as a result of the worsening spread of the virus. — Franco Luna