All returning OFWS required to undergo 14-day quarantine --Nograles
Published Apr 21, 2020 12:00 am
By Genalyn Kabiling
The government is now requiring all Filipino workers returning to the country to undergo a 14-day quarantine at designated facilities.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (Photo from Karlo Nograles / Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said the mandatory two-week quarantine covers land-based and sea-based overseas Filipino workers.
"All arriving Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), whether land-based or sea-based, shall be required to undergo a mandatory fourteen-day facility-based quarantine, and shall be subject to rapid antibody testing for COVID-19 in accordance with Department Memorandum 2020-0180 issued by the Department of Health," Nograles said at a virtual press conference Tuesday.
Nograles said sea-based OFWs onboard cruise ship, who have been cleared by the Bureau of Quarantine at the point of origin before departure, will still be subject to rapid antibody testing and shall be monitored by health authorities.
So far, he said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has facilitated the repatriation of 16,682 OFWs, including 13,213 seafarers and 3,469 land-based workers. Labor authorities have pledged to extend assistance to these workers displaced by the coronavirus pandemic.
"Sa DFA, na walang-tigil na tumutulong sa ating mga kababayan sa ibayong-dagat, maraming salamat po (To the DFA that continuously help our Filipinos abroad, thank you very much)," he said.
As of April 18, Nograles said the country has a total of 3,052 quarantine facilities with 211,474 beds for patients with suspected coronavirus. At least 17 testing laboratories have also been established in the country.
"This does not include the mega quarantine facilities or We Heal As One Centers such as the ASEAN Convention Center, NCC (New Clark City) Athlete’s Village, NCC NGAC (National Government Administrative Center), which together provide close to 2,000 additional beds,” he said.
He said the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal in Pier 15 will be be fully equipped with medical requirements for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. It will be ready to accommodate persons who are showing mild symptoms by Wednesday.
The task force earlier ruled that all Filipinos returning from countries with community-based coronavirus transmission must undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine. The returning Filipinos may also undergo coronavirus test at the quarantine facility.
Foreign cruise ships carrying Filipino crew have also been allowed to dock in ports in Manila. These ships may be used as quarantine facility for Filipino crew members.#
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (Photo from Karlo Nograles / Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said the mandatory two-week quarantine covers land-based and sea-based overseas Filipino workers.
"All arriving Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), whether land-based or sea-based, shall be required to undergo a mandatory fourteen-day facility-based quarantine, and shall be subject to rapid antibody testing for COVID-19 in accordance with Department Memorandum 2020-0180 issued by the Department of Health," Nograles said at a virtual press conference Tuesday.
Nograles said sea-based OFWs onboard cruise ship, who have been cleared by the Bureau of Quarantine at the point of origin before departure, will still be subject to rapid antibody testing and shall be monitored by health authorities.
So far, he said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has facilitated the repatriation of 16,682 OFWs, including 13,213 seafarers and 3,469 land-based workers. Labor authorities have pledged to extend assistance to these workers displaced by the coronavirus pandemic.
"Sa DFA, na walang-tigil na tumutulong sa ating mga kababayan sa ibayong-dagat, maraming salamat po (To the DFA that continuously help our Filipinos abroad, thank you very much)," he said.
As of April 18, Nograles said the country has a total of 3,052 quarantine facilities with 211,474 beds for patients with suspected coronavirus. At least 17 testing laboratories have also been established in the country.
"This does not include the mega quarantine facilities or We Heal As One Centers such as the ASEAN Convention Center, NCC (New Clark City) Athlete’s Village, NCC NGAC (National Government Administrative Center), which together provide close to 2,000 additional beds,” he said.
He said the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal in Pier 15 will be be fully equipped with medical requirements for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. It will be ready to accommodate persons who are showing mild symptoms by Wednesday.
The task force earlier ruled that all Filipinos returning from countries with community-based coronavirus transmission must undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine. The returning Filipinos may also undergo coronavirus test at the quarantine facility.
Foreign cruise ships carrying Filipino crew have also been allowed to dock in ports in Manila. These ships may be used as quarantine facility for Filipino crew members.#