In order to protect El Nido from the 2019-novel Corona virus infection, members of tourism sector are now advised to do “some important tasks….”
From a post of a businesswoman in El Nido, hotels, inns, pension houses and the like, are instructed to take precautionary measures that she said came from a meeting she had attended yesterday with the local government unit.
The instructions given to the accommodations group, according to her, are to properly register their guests through a form to be filled-out by tourists themselves with their full name, address, arrival date, departure date, where to go next (hotel and route) and where they came from; photocopy their passports, of which, they are advised to check discreetly the pages in order to know where the tourists had been and how long did they stay in the particular areas. They are advised to be vigilant, as the tourists may not reveal the truth.
And if the the tourists had been to China, tourism frontliners are reminded to take extra precautions. This is because the epicenter of the pandemic is in Wuhan, Hubei province.
They are also guided that if their guest is coughing and has a fever, they have to send him right away to rural health unit (RHU) for check-up. The patient will be asked if he had been to China or there is a possibility that he had been in contact with other Chinese guests recently.
And as part of strengthening the fight against the contagious disease, tourism sector are also told to disinfect their desks, door knobs, ballesters, and to keep their rooms clean.
They are also advised to avoid touching face with bare hands. They are reminded to wash hands as often as possible or use alcohol as alternative.
The author also noted that the town mayor has already issued an executive order, stating that every business has to put up a hand sanitizer, a similar move filed in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, also yesterday.
“If person is coughing, make sure it doesn’t reach you. Then disinfect the area and yourself; give a mask to anyone who is coughing,” she said and added that as part of the prevention, “take Vitamin C to stay healthy.”
And to intensify the measure, the government will also distribute forms, to be disseminated by the RHU personnel, to all passengers of airplanes and ships and to interview them at the check point.
“There is no thermal measuring in El Nido yet, but they will purchase them hopefully ASAP now. Airswift may provide help as well,” she added.
Since El Nido is not the first entry point for most arrivals, they hope that there is less risk to their municipality. And fortunately, they have no cases as of this writing.
“This will pass, so let’s hope El Nido will remain free of the Corona virus,” she said.
For any questions or concerns, a hotline for communication is likewise given through 0949-6211678 and 0916-3157363. They can also be reached through the RHU at 09985694813.
But despite this, the accommodation sectors are reminded to “be polite and not racist” in dealing with their guests.