KALIBO, Aklan—The Provincial Health Office (PHO) has officially declared Aklan under heightened alert amid an ongoing mpox scare after authorities confirmed recent cases across Visayas and Mindanao provinces this week.
Dr. Leslie Ann Sedillo, Provincial Health Officer II told a press conference Thursday afternoon at the provincial capitol that they had raised the alert signal per the guidance of Aklan Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores.
Sedillo said the Aklan PHO is vigilant, especially since the province hosts Boracay Island, a famous tourist destination.
“Currently, we see no need to mandate our tourists bound to Boracay to sign any health declaration cards, although these are already being practiced by several international airlines. What we are activating is that we will be asking hotels in Boracay to again come up with their respective isolation facilities in case somebody shows up having signs of mpox,” she said.
The PHO is duplicating its best practices against COVID-19 to now combat the possible entry of mpox.
The Department of Health-Western Visayas has announced that there is already a confirmed case in nearby Iloilo province and four others under observation.
Sedillo said they will also hold simultaneous meetings with stakeholders in Boracay, especially with the Department of Education (DepEd). The DepEd has announced spontaneous opening of classes by June 16.
“We want teachers to also be vigilant on what to do in case a student attends classes, who manifests signs of mpox,” she added.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), common symptoms of the disease include rashes or lesions lasting two to four weeks, with fever, muscle pain, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and headache.
Direct transmission may also occur via skin or mucosal lesions, respiratory droplets, or intimate physical contact.
Roger Debuque, the PHO Surveillance Officer, said he has also asked 17 surveillance health units to be ready with their respective isolation facilities. These isolation facilities have been established during the height of COVID-19 in 2020-2021. They were deactivated in 2022.
“Currently, we have no cases (of mpox) being monitored in the province,” he said.
The Malay Tourism Office said from May 1-15 this year, around 98,749 tourists visited Boracay. Of the said number, 85 565 were domestic tourists, 12,421 were foreigners, and 763 were overseas Filipino workers.
