PPA needs more scanners as stricter measures employed across PH ports

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PPA Cagayan De Oro building
PPA Cagayan De Oro building

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is beefing up preventive measures in all PPA-controlled ports nationwide, while also requesting for more scanners, digital thermometers and health personnel after the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the first case of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the Philippines.

PPA general manager Atty. Jay Daniel R. Santiago has directed all port managers to double up on preventive measures, from general thermal scanning to individual checks if a passenger reaches a certain body temperature level.

PPA said that at the first report of outbreak in China involving the nCoV, it immediately put in place frontline defense against the possible entry of the virus into the country via the ports.

“But with the recent confirmation from the DOH, we immediately deployed the ports’ safety, health and security personnel to immediately craft additional prevention measures on top of the general advisories from the DOH,” Santiago said in a statement.

“We are also in close coordination with Customs, Immigration, Quarantine and Security vessel boarding teams so that essential information that may need swift action could be provided to the ground personnel,” he added.

“Early detection plays a significant role in the prevention of the entry of the virus via our ports, that is why we are asking the DOH to augment the existing number of scanning machines as well as digital thermometers in our ports and at the same time deploy additional health and quarantine personnel to secure our ports,” Santiago stressed.

He added that dedicated 2019-nCoV Malasakit HelpDesks will be deployed in ports in order to facilitate the processing of reports for possible victims. Face masks and sanitizers will also be distributed to frontline employees.

Digital and traditional visual advisories on how to prevent or avoid contracting the virus are likewise being posted in conspicuous places inside and outside the ports.

The ports with high concentration of passengers and tourists include the North Harbor in Manila, Batangas, Mindoro, Bohol, Davao, Palawan, Zamboanga, and Bicol.

Other transport agencies have also instituted stringent safety measures to prevent the entry of the virus into the country.

The World Health Organization has declared the 2019-nCoV outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Also known as the Wuhan coronavirus, 2019-nCoV is a contagious virus that causes respiratory infection and has been shown capable of human-to-human transmission.

More than 200 deaths due to the virus have been recorded globally as of January 31 even as the microbe continues to infect thousands. In the Philippines, one positive case has been declared on January 30 while several others in different areas are being monitored.

Photo courtesy of PPA