Chinese Consul General in Cebu, Jia Li talks to journalists via an interpreter inside the Consulate in Cebu City. DALE ISRAEL / INQUIRER VISAYAS
CEBU CITY ––Proposals to ban Chinese nationals in Cebu are not necessary since the Chinese government has already been suspending all outgoing “individual and group tourists” to anywhere in the world, said Chinese Consul General in Cebu Jia Li.
The suspension of outgoing tourism trips began last January 27 and thousands of hotel bookings have already been canceled in Cebu. The Consul General said in difficult times like these, Chinese nationals prefer to stay at home and be with their families.
Jia said there is already a decline of the arrivals in Cebu with the Chinese government imposing the ban on tourism trips.
He said he is also closely coordinating with the local governments in Cebu on these concerns considering that 700,000 out of the 1.3 million Chinese tourists in the Philippines prefer Cebu as a destination in 2019.
For non-tourism related trips, Jia said that the airports in China are very strict with health forms and the individual must not register a body temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius or they will not be allowed to board the plane.
“As of now, we cannot understand why there is a need to impose a ban on Chinese nationals. I wish that the mayors carefully study the proposals and talk with the DOH before they decide if it is needed,” said Consul Jia in Chinese dialect through an interpreter during the press conference.
Jia said there is no confirmed case of the new coronavirus in the Philippines. In countries like Germany, Japan, among others who have confirmed cases, banning of Chinese nationals were not imposed.
Jia said that as of latest information, there are 5,999 people
infected with the new coronavirus with 132 deaths. At least 125 of the deaths are in Hubei Province where Wuhan City is located.
The Consul General appealed to the public not to fear or discriminate Chinese nationals who are already here in Philippines. The Chinese government, he said, is doing all measures to prevent the spread of the virus with the supervision of the World Health Organization.
Jia said that the increase of the infected persons has already
declined in the past days because of the efforts of the Chinese government.
“We can fight this with the help of other nations but we need time. Technology is already advance and we already know the genomes of the virus. What we are looking for now is the treatment,” Jia added.
Meanwhile, Jia said they are grateful to the Department of Health in Central Visayas for the help they have provided with the Chinese boy in Cebu, who tested positive for the non-specific coronavirus. The boy was later on tested negative of the novel coronavirus.
Jia said that the relatives and the family of the boy in China cried tears of joy upon learning that the boy tested negative of the novel coronavirus.
He said that he is much thankful with the local health officials, the medical staff from the hospital who took care of the boy and the mother in Cebu.
“They are very professional and responsible,” said Jia.