Health check extends to sea passengers
THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) in Central Visayas has ordered shipping companies to require arriving sea passengers to declare their personal details, possibly also their health condition, to hasten contact tracing.
This move follows reports Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, that said six passengers on the same flights as the 2019 novel coronavirus-positive Chinese couple have manifested symptoms of flu and respiratory infection. Authorities conducted contact tracing of the plane passengers to determine who could have been infected by the couple.
For sea passengers, Marc Anthony Pascua, Marina 7 director, said Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, that, aside from the name and age of the passenger, other contact tracking information must be included in the passenger manifest.
These are the date of birth, contact numbers, email address, principal address, time of departure and port of origin, time of arrival and port of destination and other relevant information “as deemed relevant and useful.”
“They are mandated in the passenger manifest,” he said, referring to shipping companies, owners and operators who handle their passenger manifests. “These are extraordinary measures for extraordinary times,” he added.
Last Wednesday, Feb. 5, the Department of Health (DOH) reported the third confirmed positive case of the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD). A 60-year-old Chinese woman who tested positive was able to travel from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport to Bohol via fast craft at the Port of Cebu in Cebu City last Jan. 22.
The Marina 7 advisory, Pascua said, is in line with Executive Order 5A issued by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, on protocols at seaports amid the 2019-nCoV scare.
The governor’s executive order prohibits vessels from docking if any of the people on board show symptoms of sickness. If a cargo vessel is cleared by the Quarantine team, “this cargo vessel shall be allowed to dock but only for purposes of unloading its cargo,” the order added.
The DOH 7 said that, as of Friday, there are 36 persons being monitored in the region: Three are in Cebu Province, one in Bohol, two in Negros Oriental, 15 in Cebu City, 11 in Mandaue City, and four in Lapu-Lapu City. They have no symptoms of infection. They either have traveled to China or Hong Kong, or they have come in contact with persons with travel to those areas. Health authorities will monitor them, including those on self-quarantine for 14 days from arrival or contact.
Among those being monitored, seven are on self-quarantine in Lapu-Lapu City. They have no symptoms; they did not travel to China. But they flew in from the United States and had a stopover in Hong Kong. As to persons being checked for possible infection, there are 16 of them in Central Visayas being investigated for showing symptoms of virus infection. Jaime Bernadas, DOH 7 director, cannot give a breakdown which will come from the central office. Van Phillip Baton of DOH 7 said there is a lag in the release of information from the central office because of the vetting process.
For 2019-nCoV questions, contact DOH at (032) 402 1269, 09451576004 or 09435683298. (WBS, JOB with ANV, GCM)