By Minka Klaudia Tiangco

No Filipino staying in Wuhan, China who was seeking repatriation was denied by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), a member of the Health Emergency Response Team (HERT) said.

Dr. Neptali Labasan, a member of the eight-man HERT that accompanied 30 Filipinos from Wuhan back to the Philippines on Sunday, said the low number of evacuees may be because some live too far away.

“Ang alam ko sa mga kasama ko sa DFA, unofficial ito, sabi masyadong malayo ‘yung iba (What I know from my colleagues at the DFA, they said some live too far away),” he said in an interview on DZBB Monday morning.

On Sunday, an eight-man team with members from the DFA and Department of Health flew to Wuhan to pick up the 30 Filipinos who sought to be repatriated amid the spread of the deadly 2019-novel coronavirus.

Labasan was also put under quarantine along with the 30 repatriated Filipinos at Athlete’s Village in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

“Ito talaga ang trabaho namin. Nasa frontline kapag may infectious disease na nangyayari (This is our job. We are on the frontlines when there is an outbreak of infectious diseases),” he said.

Labasan said each patient was given their own room. Families who opt to stay in one room together can do so.

He said the food that they receive is packed for safety and sanitary purposes. The staff in the area also run errands for them.

The patients’ temperature and vital signs are checked twice a day, he added.

They are also given cellphone privileges so they can call their family and loved ones and update them on their condition.

Wuhan is the epicenter of the 2019-novel coronavirus that has claimed the lives of over 900 people and has infected over 40,000 people worldwide.

The Philippines has had three confirmed cases of the virus, all involving Chinese nationals from Wuhan, China.

One of them, a 44-year-old man, died due to the infection. The other two, both women aged 38 and 60, are said to be recovering from the virus.

Read more: 32 Filipinos return from Wuhan