By Genalyn Kabiling
The government is hopeful that "everything will turn out well” for the Filipinos who returned home from a coronavirus-hit cruise ship in Japan.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo (PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo voiced hopes for the health of the Filipino repatriates after thanking Japan for the assistance given to them during their stay there.
"We thank the Japanese Government for the assistance they gave to our countrymen and their close cooperation with Filipino officials to ensure that the needs of our kababayans have been addressed,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
"Let us pray for this second batch of repatriates, as well as of the members of the repatriation team, and hope that everything will turn out well,” he added.
At least 445 Filipino crew members and passengers from a quarantined MV Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan, have returned to the country last Tuesday. Two chartered flights carrying the Filipinos landed at Clark airport last night. They were assisted by personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Health.
They tested negative for the new coronavirus before Japanese authorities allowed them to disembark the ship.
According to Panelo, the Filipinos were immediately brought to the New Clark City Quarantine Facility. They will undergo a 14-day quarantine period as a precaution against the new coronavirus disease.