MANILA — The Department of Health on Thursday (30 January 2020) has confirmed its first case of novel coronavirus or nCoV for short.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III made the announcement at a press conference saying the carrier is a 38-year-old woman from Wuhan, China who arrived in the Philippines via Hongkong last Tuesday, 21 January 2020.

Duque said the woman sought consultation and was admitted in one of the country’s government hospitals on January 25 after experiencing a mild cough.

The woman according to Duque is currently asymptomatic, which means she had no fever and no other symptoms suggesting illness.

DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau chief Dr. Chito Avelino said his office is currently undergoing contact tracing on places and public transportation the confirmed case used and the places she visited.

The patient Avelino said visited Cebu and Dumaguete as a tourist.

Meantime, DOH spokesman Eric Domingo said the patient is right now under intensive care and observation in a hospital in Manila.

“I assure the public that the DOH is on top of this evolving situation. We were able to detect the first confirmed case because of our strong surveillance system, close coordination with the World Health Organization and other national agencies,” Duque said.

“We are working closely with the hospital where the patient is admitted and have activated the incident command system of the said hospital for appropriate management specifically on infection control, case management and containment,” he added.

“We are also implementing measures to protect the health staff providing care to these patients,” Duque said.

There are currently 29 persons under investigation for possible nCoV infection nationwide in which 18 is in Metro Manila, four in Central Visayas, three in Western Visayas, one in MIMAROPA, one in Eastern Visayas, one in Northern Mindanao, and one in Davao.

Meanwhile, 23 are currently admitted while five have been discharged but are still under strict monitoring.

On Wednesday, a person under investigation died at the San Lazaro Hospital. Cause of death was later determined as pneumonia.

Due to this, Duque urged the public to remain calm and vigilant.

“Finally, I urge the public to stay calm and remain vigilant at all times. Let us continue to practice good personal hygiene and adopt healthy lifestyles,” Duque said. (IAMIGO/CPH)