MEDICAL AUTHORITIES have quashed reports shared on social media about a supposed patient from Thailand infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) who has been admitted at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City. “Nope. We don’t have confirmed case of coronavirus and no patient admitted for isolation,” SPMC Chief of Hospital Leopoldo J. Vega told BusinessWorld. Mr. Vega also gave reassurance that protocols are in place to ensure the safety of hospital patients and that an isolation facility for emerging infections is ready. The Davao City government, in a statement, said they have also extended assistance to the Department of Health’s (DoH) quarantine personnel to ensure tighter safety measures, especially at the Davao International Airport. DoH-Davao Assistant regional Director Lenny Joy Rivera, meanwhile, said the airport is equipped with a thermal scanner that detects the temperature of all arriving passengers. There is still no confirmed case of nCov in the country. — Maya M. Padillo

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