TARLAC CITY — “There is no case of the dreaded Novel Corona Virus in
the province of Tarlac.”
Thus said Arvin Cabalu, the capitol’s information officer, after rumors spread that NCoV is already in Tarlac and that it infected one of the patients confined at the Tarlac Provincial Hospital.
“That is another case of fake news that is being circulated by nefarious on-line writers. They just want to sow confusion and panic among our people,” Cabalu said in statement. He added that the Provincial Government through the Provincial Health Office [PHO] and the Department of Health has issued a statement that there are no case or cases of NCoV in Tarlac province.
“Since the outbreak of the Novel Corona Virus late last year, Governor Susan Yap has called the attention of all concerned to closely monitor the dreaded virus and we are always in coordination with the Department of Health [DoH],” he said.
Cabalu several meetings were already been conducted regarding NCoV.
“The PHO, government doctors and even Barangay Health Workers attended the meetings called by the provincial government with regards to NCoV,” Cabalu said.
The Provincial Hospital of Tarlac [TPH] headed by Dr. Gary Role on January 31 posted in their FaceBook account that the TPH and the Province of Tarlac have no case of NCoV and urged the people not to spread unverified information regarding NCoV.
The post read: “Hinihikayat and lahat na huwag magpakalat ng unverified information ukol sa NCoV upang maiwasan ang pangamba. Gayundin, hinihikayat ang bawat isa ang palagiang paghugas ng kamay na may sabon, lutuin mabuti ang mga pagkain at panatilihing malinis ang kapaligiran.”
“Please do not believe on-line post. If indeed there is [an NCoV case] in the province, you will first hear it from the proper authorities in the province,” Cabalu said.
On January 30, the DoH confirmed the first case of NCoV in the country. According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque, a Chinese woman who arrived in Cebu City on January 21 is now confined at the San Lazaro Hospital where she is now in an isolated room.