THE Municipal Council of Kalibo in Aklan has urged the Bureau of Quarantine to intensify the screening of all foreign tourists arriving and leaving the town via the Kalibo International Airport (KIA).
The council passed a resolution authored by Vice Mayor Cynthia Dela Cruz amid the novel coronavirus scare.
Dela Cruz said Kalibo, as the capital of Aklan, is a major tourism destination, thus "the safety of our people is one of our major concerns as stated in our General Welfare Code."
"Sa Aklan province, with tourism as our major industry, we should be maintained as a safe and healthy destination for both our tourists and residents," said Dela Cruz, a pediatrician.
A report from World Health Organization confirmed an increasing number of novel coronavirus cases in Wuhan, China and other countries in the world.
On Thursday, January 30, the Department of Health confirmed the first case of novel coronavirus in the Philippines. The patient, who is being monitored in a government hospital, is a 38-year-old female from Wuhan, China.
Health officials earlier advised the public to practice proper hygiene and avoid crowded places, wear mask, stay at home when sick with flu, cover mouth when coughing or sneezing, drink more fluids, keep away from persons with flu, eat well and get enough rest. (SunStar Philippines)