PH still safe, fun despite Covid-19
Credit to Author: Catherine S. Valente, TMT| Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2020 16:25:33 +0000
It’s still fun and safe in the Philippines despite the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Department of Tourism (DoT) has assured the public.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat made the assurance after the Department of Health (DoH) recommended the cancellation of big events and other mass gatherings in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
Speaking to reporters, Puyat said a joint memorandum circular from the DoT, DoH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) would be released to encourage local government units (LGUs) to pursue events despite public fears over Covid-19.
“We also agreed among the DoH and the DILG regarding the fiestas, events, celebrations. We agreed we’ll be implementing a joint circular among the three agencies that [it is still possible to hold such activities] as long as precautionary measures are implemented,” she also said in a media interview after a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Friday.
“We want to assure you that all our stakeholders in the tourism industry have already implemented all these precautionary measures even before the temporary ban [took effect], so it’s safe,” she added.
Several LGUs and other groups have decided to forgo activities with large crowds to reduce the risk of virus transmission.
The DoH earlier advised the public to avoid crowded places to prevent risk of health concerns caused by the virus.
Based on its latest data, the Health department said 455 people were still under monitoring for possible Covid-19 infection.
Three-hundred-eighty-six patients or 85 percent, however, have tested negative.
Earlier, Puyat said the country was seen to lose over P16.80 billion in February, P14.11 billion in March and P11.98 billion in April as a result of the Covid-19 scare.
Data from DoT showed that 1.63 million of the total 7.4 million international tourist arrivals from January to November of 2019 were Chinese.
Further, the Chinese are also considered the second biggest tourist spenders in the Philippines next to the South Koreans, spending $979.4 million or around P51 billion in the country in the first half of 2019.
Filipinos have expressed fear over a possible Covid-19 epidemic in the country after the government earlier confirmed three cases of the new coronavirus.
Three Chinese from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, who traveled to the Philippines had tested positive for Covid-19.
One died while the other two have already recovered.
Despite this, President Rodrigo Duterte has encouraged his fellow Filipinos to travel with him around the Philippines.
In a taped video message uploaded on Friday morning, Duterte assured the public that it was still “safe” to visit the country’s beautiful places.
“To my fellow Filipinos, I encourage you to travel with me around the Philippines. I assure you that everything is safe in our country, be it an issue of health, be it an issue of law and order, and be it an issue of accessibility,” he said.
Puyat recently disclosed that Duterte plans to visit Boracay, Cebu and Bohol.
‘Airline promo’
Meanwhile, Deputy House Speaker and 1 Pacman party-list Rep. Mikee Romero on Saturday bared that airline companies would launch their respective local promotion campaigns to give Filipinos the chance to “see the world in the Philippines” despite the Covid-19 threat.
Air Asia, majority-owned by Romero, is one of the companies that support the call of Duterte to boost local tourism, which may face adverse effects of the viral disease from China. According to Romero, Air Asia has unveiled its fare promotions for the summer.
“We want Filipinos to enjoy and see the world right here in the Philippines. It’s the safest and healthiest way to go places,” he said in a statement.
For the next three to six months, big airfare discounts would be offered to passengers, he added.
Air Asia has offered 22-percent discount during a booking period that will cover February 17 to 23.
Also, the travel period for the promotion will be from Feb. 24 to Sept. 30, 2020.
Aside from airline firms, Romero said all stakeholders in the tourism industry would launch promotional campaigns to encourage local tourists to visit and enjoy local scenery.
“Filipinos could help keep the tourism industry vibrant by patronizing local tourism rather than going abroad, particularly now that Covid-19 has been spreading to different countries,” Romero added.
The new coronavirus has spread to many cities in China and 26 other countries and territories after it was first detected in China’s Wuhan city in December 2019.
The World Health Organization has warned that the virus posed a “very grave threat” but that there was a “realistic chance” of curbing the outbreak.
Death toll soars
As of Saturday, the death toll from China’s coronavirus epidemic had jumped to 1,526 as Beijing ordered people returning to the capital from holiday to self-quarantine for 14 days in another drastic effort to contain the outbreak.
More than 66,000 people have now been infected in China with Covid-19 as millions of people traveled for the Lunar New Year holiday last month.
The holiday was extended by several days to prevent further contagion but people have slowly started to return to work in the past two weeks, though many are doing their jobs from home and schools remain closed.
Beijing’s municipal government enacted a rule on Friday requiring all people coming to the capital to quarantine themselves for 14 days, warning that violators would be punished, according to official media.
Some 283 million trips were made within the country between January 25 and Friday, Vice Transport Minister Liu Xiaoming said.
Several countries have banned arrivals from China and major airlines have cut services with the country. But the epidemic has continued to spread across China and hundreds of cases have emerged in more than 2 dozen countries.
WITH REPORTS FROM DARWIN PESCO AND AFP