CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 27 January) — A tourist suspected to have been infected by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) was tested negative by a team of medical experts in the island-province of Camiguin, a health official said Monday.
Gretchen Cabalang, Camiguin health officer, said the patient’s condition was stable, and that the person was scheduled for discharge from the hospital during the day.
She said that a team of doctors from the Department of Health in Region 10 arrived last weekend to examine the patient for possible 2019-nCov infection.
“We would like to assure the general public that we will continuously monitor the person,” Cabalang said in a statement.
She said they will also be monitoring the traveling companions of the patient who went to the island for tourism purposes.
Cabalang did not mention the nationality of the patient.
In a press conference in Manila on Monday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said 11 persons have been placed under strict monitoring for suspected infection of the new respiratory illness.
Duque said these persons were confined in hospitals in Muntinlupa City, Pasay City, Kalibo in Aklan, Tacloban, El Nido in Palawan, Cebu City and Camiguin island.
Duque said “all of the patients exhibited symptoms such as fever, cough, colds, some shortness of breath” and travel history to Wuhan, the epicenter of the deadly novel coronavirus in central China’s Hubei province.