ILOILO CITY – The City Council has pushed for the heightened health and safety measures at the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town and all the city’s seaports amid the threat brought by the monkeypox (mpox) disease.
On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, the city councilors unanimously approved the resolution authored by Councilor Alan Zaldivar, urging the management of the airport and the seaports to implement safety measures to prevent the spread of the said disease, which is already declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global health emergency.
“It is important to impose strict health measures at our airports and ports to prevent the spread of mpox in Iloilo City and neighboring areas,” part of the resolution stated.
Travelers await their departure in Iloilo Airport. Both the Iloilo provincial and city governments of Iloilo are pushing for strict safety measures at the airport and seaports due to the threat of mpox. (JNH/PAI Iloilo photo)
The resolution also proposed installing thermal scanners at airports and seaports and increasing visual surveillance by officers, citing that “it may also be enhanced by implementing a health declaration system.”
Zaldivar pointed out that while travel and trade via airports and seaports add to the economic development of the city, they could also pose public health risks if there would be no strict implementation of safety measures, especially with the increasing number of confirmed mpox cases.
Meanwhile, in Iloilo province, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., during his press conference on August 29, 2024, said that they are taking precautionary measures against the potential spread of mpox following the resumption of international flights at the Iloilo International Airport in October.
The governor added that they are planning to deploy a quarantine team to manage the threat of Mpox.
“We are preparing for the October international flights. We have the guidelines and we are about to execute them, particularly on avoidance of physical contact. As to the border control, we have to wait for the international flights before we execute” Defensor said.
Data from the Department of Health (DOH) indicated that there are currently eight active mpox cases in the Philippines with three new confirmed cases reported in Metro Manila (2) and in Calabarzon region (1).
The WHO defines mpox as a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus.
Common symptoms of mpox include skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last two to four weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
Mpox can spread from human to human and can be transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or internal mucosal surfaces, like in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects. (AAL/JNH/PIA Iloilo)