CLARK FREEPORT -- The 49 Filipinos, which include 32 Filipino workers from Wuhan, China, who are under a 14-day quarantine at the New Clark City (NCC) are asymptomatic or not showing symptoms of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Dr. Maria Eloisa Vidar, head of the Department of Health (DOH) Central Luzon's Communicable Disease Cluster, bared this during the monthly forum of the Pampanga Press Club in cooperation with Park Inn by Radisson Clark.
"All of them -- the 32 repatriates, six flight crew, five doctors and nurses, and three Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) personnel -- are okay so far," Vidar said.
She added that these people under monitoring (PUM) are required to complete the 14-day isolation.
"Regarding their clinical conditions, they are being monitored twice a day for any symptoms," she said.
The DOH provides the needs of the repatriates and medical team and they are required to undergo physical exercises every day, Vidar said.
"Aside from the physical exercises, they also receive psychosocial activities as well," she added.
The PUMs also enjoy free internet access in order to communicate with their relatives, the DOH official said.
Based on the February 17 data released by the office of DOH Secretary Francisco Duque, a total of 171 cases of PUI or persons under investigation for the whole country was recorded by the agency.
In Central Luzon, some 59 persons under investigation were admitted in DOH hospitals. Vidar said 53 of them were already sent home after testing negative for the virus.
"None tested positive in Central Luzon. Yung positive po natin ay sa NCR (National Capital Region) at Cebu, Region VII," said Vidar.
The DOH-Central Luzon is working closely with other government and non-government agencies, including local government units, according to Vidar.
The DOH only has five hospitals all over the region and the agency has tapped private hospitals to admit patients under investigation or monitoring.
"We have activated our incident command system as of January. We are now on Code Blue which means our medical team are on standby and on duty in our quarantine area at the New Clark City," Vidar said.