MANILA, Philippines — The bodies of two Chinese nationals who died at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila during the threat of the novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) in the country have been “disposed of properly,” the Department of Health (DOH) disclosed Friday.

“We [DOH] cannot give you the details right now…,” Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said in a press briefing at DOH main office. He stressed that the privacy of the victims’ family and the “dignity of the deceased” must be observed.

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One of the bodies was that of the 44-year-old Chinese man, who was considered as the first death due to 2019-nCoV outside China. Another Chinese national, who was also the second confirmed case of nCoV, succumbed to severe pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus.

Funeral services refused

Asked why the cremation of the first nCoV fatality did not happen, Domingo said funeral parlors were wary that their businesses might be affected if they agreed to cremate an nCoV fatality.

“Kapag nalaman ng public na nag-cremate sila ng nCoV patient, matatakot sila na hindi na rin sila puntahan ng publiko at hindi tangkilikin yung kanilang serbisyo,” Domingo said.

(If the public finds out that the funeral parlor helped in the cremation of the person who died because of nCoV, they would be scared that the public would not go to their parlor. They are scared that the public would not avail of their services.)

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III had said that they contacted the Chinese national’s parents and they gave their consent for cremation.

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