The Manila Health Department (MHD) has intensified its monitoring operations, as well as its information and education campaign, as the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday confirmed the third case of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in the Philippines.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will create Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) each composed of an executive officer, kagawad who is either a nurse or midwife, and a barangay tanod.

The MHD will then be conducting seminars to train the BHERT members on how to identify and refer cases of coronavirus infections to the nearest health facility.

The purpose is to inform the teams on the proper handling of the patients in case an outbreak occurs.

DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-018, dated January 31, 2020, states, among others, “This Circular aims to enjoin all local government units to effectively intensify information education campaign against Coronavirus and implement programs, projects and services that will promote the health and well-being of every Filipino.”

On the other hand, the MHD has been conducting seminars with the medical personnel on personal protective equipment (PPE).

Among the advise given was to have proper hygiene and frequent washing of hands to avoid infection.

Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo, during a press conference on Wednesday, said the third patient was a 60-year-old female Chinese national.

The patient arrived in Cebu City from Wuhan, China via Hong Kong last January 20. The patient went straight to Bohol.

On January 22, the patient went to a private hospital in Bohol to have a medical check-up due to fever and colds. She was then admitted.

Her samples that were taken on January 24 were tested by both an Australian laboratory and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in the Philippines.

Both tests showed that she was negative for 2019-nCoV.

However, RITM had tested a sample taken earlier on January 23, and the result showed she was positive for the 2019-nCoV. Domingo said the clinical explanation for the two different test results is that the patient was towards the end of illness at the time when the samples were taken.

After testing negative, the woman was discharged from the hospital and she already took a flight to Shenzhen, China with her companions on January 31.

The Philippines has recorded 133 suspected cases of novel coronavirus infection./STACY ANG