President Rodrigo Duterte has shot down suggestions to deport Chinese nationals from the Philippines or specifically bar them from entering the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak , dismissing such restrictions as “xenophobia” . Wearing a portable air purifier around his neck, the president on Monday sought to play down local fears and pledged solidarity with Beijing as it works to contain the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 20,000 people around the world, killing over 420. “Everything is well in the [Philippines], there is really nothing to be scared of that coronavirus thing,” he told reporters. “Although it has affected a lot of countries, one or two in any country is not really that fearsome.” He did not indicate whether he meant cases or deaths. ‘We’re like cash cows’: Chinese students upset after Australia’s virus travel ban The Philippines became the first country outside China to report a fatality from the novel coronavirus when a 44-year old Chinese man died in a government hospital in Manila on February 1. Following the death, authorities announced that all non-Filipino travellers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau would not be allowed into the Philippines, while citizens would be barred from leaving for those destinations. The Philippines’ health department on Tuesday said it had a total of 103 patients under investigation apart from the two confirmed cases. Of the 103, 12 have been discharged after testing negative for the virus, but will continue to be monitored. In a senate hearing the same day, health secretary Francisco Duque III said the two confirmed cases – one of whom was the Chinese man who died – flew into the Philippines from Wuhan two weeks ago. Authorities have only been able to reach 58 of the plane’s 331 passengers who may have had contact with the couple. Duterte went out of his way at Monday’s press conference to be solicitous when it came to China. “Apparently there is a lot of talk in the media and Facebook, even one saying send the Chinese home. You know, it is not only a case of bad taste but it is not good for us Filipinos to be saying that,” he said. “Now if you ask will I bar the Chinese from entering, the answer of course is ‘no’. That is an utter disrespect to a human being.” The president said “blaming the Chinese is like xenophobia … China has been kind to us, and we can only show the same favour to them.” Duterte also said if there were more Chinese nationals who tested positive for the virus in the Philippines and “we do not want them to travel to further aggravate the situation, we can assure the Chinese that we too can help”. Beijing has criticised the United States for imposing restrictions on travel from China, as well as for not offering help amid the outbreak. Chinese foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying this week lauded the likes of Indonesia, Japan, France and Iran, which have offered China support and supplies. Coronavirus: Singapore ‘won’t rule out’ extending travel ban to Hong Kong Duterte told journalists he was looking into using a recently completed but as yet unused drug rehabilitation centre financed by a Chinese philanthropist as a quarantine area for foreign and local patients. The centre is located in a military camp in Nueva Ecija province, north of Manila. “The problem is, the governor [of the province] doesn’t want it,” he said. “I will expropriate, I will get that building whether you like it or not.” The president also told reporters the government would never withhold information from the public. “If you’re going to die tomorrow because it’s a contagion we will tell you that. If it will cost lives we will not hide that, why should we?” Duterte made the remarks hours after attending an event where he also wore an air purifier, and the audience was told beforehand not to touch him, either by shaking his hand or embracing him. The president has previously appeared at public events wearing the purifier. Last year, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte used the device to protect himself “from persons within his proximity who have coughs and colds”. Before his appearances yesterday, Duterte had been increasingly criticised for not coming forward and assuaging public anxiety over the virus. How the coronavirus spread anti-Chinese racism like a disease through Asia He had previously downplayed the public reaction to the virus, saying: “The response of the people is almost hysterical, when there is almost no need for it. And if there is really a virus going around why do you have to be hysterical? Why don’t you just go to the hospital and have yourself treated?” Separately, defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana told a senate committee on health that the drug rehabilitation complex at Fort Magsaysay was ready to be used as a quarantine centre. “About half of it is not being used anyway, so it can be made available for our overseas foreign workers [who have to be quarantined]”, he said, noting that the complex can accommodate a total of 10,000 people.