MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s visit to China poses risk to his health and his delegation as the most populous nation faces a surge of COVID-19 infections, a public health expert said Tuesday.
Dr. Tony Leachon, a former adviser of the Philippine government's coronavirus task force, also warned this could be a potential superspreader event.
"This is extreme risk to the health of the President knowing the President had 2 cases before of COVID," he told ANC's "Rundown".
"A risk to their health and a potential superspreader in the event they would return to the country," he continued.
The 65-year-old chief executive was first infected with the coronavirus in March 2020 wherein he was rushed to the emergency room of an undisclosed hospital due to difficulty in breathing.
He tested positive again for COVID-19 in July 2022.
China is experiencing a huge COVID-19 surge after years of hardline containment restrictions were dismantled last month.
A growing number of countries are worried about a lack of data and transparency surrounding China's outbreak, prompting around a dozen countries to impose fresh COVID-19 restrictions.
To minimize the risk of exposure to the virus, a bubble arrangement has been agreed for the Philippine delegation, the Department of Foreign Affairs has said.
Marcos and his delegation will take an RT-PCR test 48 hours before the trip, another test 24 hours before departure, and a third RT-PCR test upon arrival in Beijing.
A fourth RT-PCR test will be administered for “all participants of official events… two hours before the start of events,” according to an advisory from the Malacañang.
Delegates who will test positive but are asymptomatic will be "transferred to designated quarantine rooms in the hotel for observation."
Those who will test positive and exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 "will be transferred to a designated hospital for treatment."
Marcos Jr. is flying to China Tuesday for a 3-day state visit where both nations "will have in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual interest".
— With a report from Agence France-Presse
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