Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6)— A lawmaker on Thursday expressed concern over the Philippine health department’s "slow” implementation of preventive measures and response to the novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV, a mysterious illness which has left over 560 people around the world dead in its wake.

Senator Win Gatchalian said the reported influx of Chinese visitors— which hit close to two million in 2019— should have already raised “red flags” for officials.

“You have two million Chinese coming in the country. This is a large amount of warm bodies coming into the country. This should have been a red flag already within the DOH system,” Gatchalian told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

With the development, he added the DOH should have flagged President Rodrigo Duterte early on about the virus—first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December— as a timely flight ban could help stop the spread of the disease.

“Meaning the DOH should have been prudent when this was coming out, when this was already becoming a global crisis. DOH should have advised the President-- to curb the flights, stop the flights from Wuhan and from Hubei,” he added.

The Chinese government has locked down Hubei — the Chinese province where Wuhan is located— since January 24, following the continuous rise of coronavirus cases in the area.

The Philippine government issued a temporary travel ban to the ground zero on January 31— a day after the Health Department confirmed the country’s first case of the new virus. Duterte has since expanded the travel directive for passengers to and from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

READ: Duterte: Stop being xenophobic towards Chinese nationals

China remains as one of the top tourist markets for the Philippines, with over 1.6 million Chinese nationals visiting the country from January to November 2019, according to government data.

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‘Invest in capability’

As of Thursday morning, over 28,000 have been infected by the coronavirus, CNN reported. The Philippines recently confirmed a third case — a 60-year-old Chinese woman who initially tested negative for the virus.

While netizens questioned the medical procedure, Gatchalian meanwhile appealed to fellow officials to “invest in capability”— particularly in the field of science and health.

“This goes to show that we don't have the capability yet— to determine positively and quickly (the case). Because that will dictate how fast we can contain and how fast we can track the people who had contact with person,” Gatchalian said.

“This goes to show that we should invest in capability,” he added.

DOH, for its part, has repeatedly assured precautionary measures are in place to help protect Filipinos from the new virus.