MANILA, Philippines — People’s champ Manny Pacquiao can have his victory tour around the country as long as he arrives from the United States without any symptoms of the deadly A(H1N1) virus, a top health official said Monday.
Like all other incoming passengers, Pacquiao as well as his entourage, including the politicians who flew to Nevada, Las Vegas, just to see him knockout British champ Ricky Hatton, would undergo ?quarantine procedures? upon their arrival, said Doctor Eric Tayag, chief of the National Epidemiology Center of the Department of Health (DoH).
Tayag explained that ?quarantine? would involve undergoing thermal screening at the airport to check for fever, the most common symptom of flu.
If Pacquiao or any of the members of his entourage have fever and other flu symptoms like coughing, runny nose, or difficulty breathing, they would be brought to a DoH-appointed hospital.
However, if they do not have flu symptoms, they would be required to ?monitor their body temperature everyday at the same hour each day? for the next 10 days as part of quarantine procedures.
If they develop fever during the 10-day quarantine period, they should immediately call the DoH hotline 711-1001 so they could be immediately treated and checked for Influenza A(H1N1) virus.
Tayag said Pacquiao could go anywhere in the meantime during the 10-day observation period.
?There are no restrictions of movement,? he stressed.
When asked if Pacquiao and his group would have to refrain from shaking hands, Tayag said ?Oh, no, no.?
