Novel coronavirus local transmission 'a question of when, not if': Duque

The Philippines is preparing containment measures for the possible local transmission of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which could happen soon, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday.

"Hindi ang tanong dito kung darating ba, baka kailan -- iyon ang tanong: kailan darating. Kagaya ng mga ibang bansa, pinaghahandaan po natin ito," Duque told DZMM.

(The question here is not 'will it come', but 'when.' Like other countries, we are preparing for this.)
 
All 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, including 1 death, were all "imported" from Wuhan city in central China, where the virus was first detected.

Health officials this week briefed local chief executives on how to contain possible domestic transmissions of the disease, said Duque.

Singapore, Germany, France and Japan have reported domestic transmissions of COVID-19, which had killed at least 1,100 and infected some 44,000, mostly in China.

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DZMM, Feb. 12, 2020