As the Iloilo International Airport prepares to reopen for international flights on October 27, Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. is planning to deploy a quarantine team to manage the threat of Mpox. This proactive move comes amid rising concerns over the reported cases of Mpox in the country.
“We are preparing now. We are getting ready for October’s international flights, as well as organizing our quarantine team to be deployed, but it will take some time,” Defensor stated.
The governor assured that the provincial government is ready for the resumption of international flights and has already outlined safety measures to manage potential Mpox cases.
He said they are ready to implement the necessary guidelines and set up a dedicated group to monitor and conduct surveillance at the airport if the situation requires it.
Defensor is currently awaiting further updates from the Department of Health (DOH) regarding the situation at Iloilo Airport. A coordination meeting with concerned agencies is scheduled on September 3 to finalize preparations.
“We will have our coordination meeting on September 3 to prepare and execute plans, just in case we need a team in October, but if the problem is still there,” he said.
Cebu Pacific already announced plans to resume its Iloilo-Hong Kong flight in October, while the Iloilo-Singapore flight schedule remains pending.
In response, the DOH heightened its monitoring at Iloilo International Airport in relation to Mpox, strengthening coordination with the Bureau of Quarantine and the Bureau of Customs to prevent the virus from entering Western Visayas.
Among the DOH’s planned measures is the identification of hospitals in the region that are prepared to handle potential Mpox cases detected at the airports. The designated hospitals are the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, and the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, Negros Island.
Dr. Bea Natalaray, Medical Officer IV and head of the Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Disease unit of DOH Western Visayas, revealed that the agency is currently working on enhancing the Mpox detection capacity of these hospitals, eliminating the need to send samples to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
“So, this is what we are working on right now—to develop capacity for Mpox detection here in the region,” Natalaray stated.
The DOH Western Visayas is also urging local government units to assist in surveillance, particularly in tracking newly arrived Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from African countries or nearby areas. They are advised to immediately report to health facilities if they exhibit symptoms of Mpox.
Natalaray also called on the public to continue practicing health protocols, such as wearing face masks when coughing, ensuring good airflow in homes and workplaces, frequently washing hands, using alcohol or sanitizers, and avoiding contact with individuals showing symptoms of Mpox.
These precautions aim to mitigate the spread of the virus as Iloilo prepares for the return of international travelers and potential health risks that could arise.
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