THE local government has taken steps to protect Zamboanga City from the deadly new strain of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

In a meeting with the health sector called by Acting Mayor Rommel Agan, both the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) and the City Health Office (CHO) have been tasked to coordinate with local and national government agencies in implementing health protocols and intensifying screening procedures for incoming transit from abroad to prevent the entry of the 2019-nCoV in this city.

Agan noted the need to focus and intensify screening and assessment of passengers from Malaysia, as it recently reported its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) since the city currently having a direct route via ferry to Sandakan and receiving deportees regularly from Malaysia.

“We directed our CHO to coordinate with DOH (Department of Health) to intensify screening and hopefully we can prevent its entry in Zamboanga City,” Agan said Monday, January 27.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite, CHO chief, reported that there are no cases in Zamboanga City.

An inter-agency task force for the 201-nCOV has been activated, and both local and national government agencies are regularly meeting to continuously thresh out protection measures and protocols.

Authorities for the city’s points of entries have been called on to intensify screening process of incoming passengers but Miravite clarified that the nCOV has a 14-day incubation period and can be asymptomatic or present without fever or flu symptoms. (SunStar Zamboanga)