Mabalacat holds information drive vs 2019-nCoV

IN A bid to intensify its campaign against the disease, the Mabalacat City Government recently held a forum about the 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

Led by the City Health Office (CHO), in coordination with the three Rural Health Units in the city, the forum was attended by emergency response units, barangay officials, health workers, and other concerned agencies.

CHO head Dr. Ma. Clara Aquino said the 2019-nCOv is being considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global health emergency. She highlighted the importance of a city-wide information drive on the preparedness and response for the prevention and control of the acute respiratory disease.

Dr. Freddie Anunciacion, Dr. Ann Mary Tolentino and Dr. Rose Marie Anne Liong also shared their expertise during the forum.

The health experts taught the 150 forum attendees with the basic knowledge on how to identify a possible nCoV case by using the nCoV decision tool.

The decision tool includes an assessment of the four indicators of the disease: 1) fever of more than 38 degrees Celsius; 2) respiratory infection; 3) travel history in China, Hong Kong, and Macau for the past 14 days; and 4) history of exposure.

Earlier, Mayor Crisostomo Garbo ordered village chiefs of the 27 barangays in Mabalacat to immediately organize and mobilize their Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams following the guidelines issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in response to the 2019-nCoV outbreak.