A total of 20 patients under monitoring (PUMs) are currently in home quarantine here for possible coronavirus disease (Covid-10) infection after arriving from various countries in Asia, including South Korea and Japan, last week.

Records of the City Health Office (CHO) showed the PUMs include 13 who have traveled to Seoul, South Korea as well as four who have arrived from Malaysia, one from Singapore, one from Japan, and one from Thailand.

“We don’t have any patients under investigation (PUIs) in Bacolod, but we have 20 PUMs being closely monitored by CHO personnel,” Dr. Grace Tan, spokesperson of the city’s inter-agency task force against Covid-19, said in a press conference on Monday.

Of the 20, 19 Filipinos and one foreigner, all have volunteered information about their travel history and have been placed under a 14-day quarantine period.

Tan said these PUMs are being checked by health personnel on a daily basis.

“We don’t need to admit them since they are just being monitored. They are considered as PUMs because they did not travel to restricted countries. In South Korea, specified was only Daegu City and Cheongdo County,” she added.

These persons arrived in Bacolod on February 24, 26, and 28.

Tan reiterated her appeal to those who have gone abroad to inform the CHO or their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams of their travel history.

“Especially, for foreigners, their schools should also inform us. That’s why Mayor Evelio Leonardia wants to enforce and reinforce the filling out of health declaration forms so that we will be informed of their travel history,” she added.

Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chair of inter-agency task force against Covid-19, however, reminded residents of Bacolod not to discriminate Chinese or South Korean nationals as a precautionary measure.

“They are already here. We just monitor the new arrivals,” he said.

Leonardia also urged Bacolodnons to help the city by being vigilant and reporting persons who have traveled to countries affected by Covid-19.

On February 13, the city inter-agency task force reported that “all eight PUIs here have already been discharged with no confirmed cases as of this report”. (PNA)