Honduras Monitors Chinese Tourists Amid Coronavirus Panic

Tegucigalpa, Honduras- the capital of the country. (Wikipedia)

Honduran authorities are keeping Chinese tourists under surveillance after they entered the country despite them showing no signs of the virus. The tourists were heading to Roatán when they were stopped.

As the coronavirus outbreak has been declared a global emergency, Honduran authorities have expressed caution towards tourists entering the country from the areas most affected. Coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Since then, the virus has spread worldwide, with the death toll surpassing 200. Many countries have responded by suspending travel to and from China. 

Honduran authorities, in a press release, revealed that no symptoms were identified on any of the tourists coming into the country. However, the Secretary of Health maintains that they will “continue to administer epidemiological surveillance on all frontiers, including airports and ports.''  

Panic over coronavirus in Honduras has spread considerably, especially since the country has been dealing with a deadly dengue epidemic. Dengue, a viral infection transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes, is characterized by flu-like symptoms that can then turn into Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. In September 2019, it was reported that at least 135 people had died from dengue that year in Honduras. 

Considering the difficulty it has taken to combat the dengue epidemic, the public has expressed worries over the government’s ability to combat possible coronavirus cases. Twitter users expressed their worries over dealing with coronavirus when they can “barely deal with dengue.”  

There has been a lot of attention on  Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who has already faced scrutiny over his response to the dengue epidemic.