Filipino tugboat crew quarantined in Dumaguete amid nCoV concerns

On Wednesday, 11 Filipino crew members of a Chinese tugboat that arrived in Dumaguete City on Tuesday night were quarantined aboard the vessel due to concerns over the novel coronavirus.

The Department of Health (DOH) conducted tests and found no flu-like symptoms among the crew.

Despite Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo's initial ban, an inter-agency team allowed the tugboat to stay after health checks cleared the crew.

Three vessels from China—Marine tugboat IMC-20 and two barges—were barred from docking in Dumaguete amid fears of coronavirus spread.

The DOH required a 14-day quarantine period before allowing any passengers or crew to disembark, as the first confirmed cases in the Philippines had visited Dumaguete.