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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Uninfected OFWs may now go home, says Coast Guard

Uninfected OFWs may now go home, says Coast Guard

Published May 17, 2020 12:00 am
By MB Online The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday said repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who tested negative of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may now avail themselves of free rides back to their home provinces and cities. "Ang panawagan namin samantalahin na ng mga may (negative) result na kung kayo ay uuwi sa Mindanao, Visayas, ito na po ang magandang pagkakataon... Ito lang ang tanging available na transportasyon," Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo said in an interview over DZMM Teleradyo. Meanwhile, for OFWs returning to provinces in Luzon will be provided free bus rides by the government, he added. Balilo said more than 7,000 OFWs quarantined in ships docked in Manila Bay have been tested for the coronavirus and are awaiting their clearances. "May mga 1,500 na lang na natitira para makumpleto ang swabbing ng ating mga kababayan na seafarers," he said. "Kung meron na kayong clearance, quarantine pass, you can avail na po yung balik probinsya na pinaiiral ng Department of Transportation at PCG. Babyahe na po ang barko ng 2Go," he added. Balilo said the PCG has already done some 23,000 coronavirus tests in total, with a daily average of 1,500. “Kaya naman po at nakarami na tayo. Kaya lang marami pang OFWs ang pabalik galing ibang bansa at yun po ang pinaghahandaan namin nang mabuti," he said. "Kritikal po na gawin namin ito sapagkat alam niyo naman na sa mga ibang bansa, yung mga nagkaroon ng maraming COVID ay nanggaling sa labas at di nabantayan nang maayos. Kaya po ito ay ginagawan ng PCG para po masigurado na hindi magkakaroon ng carrier na positive ng COVID na magdadala po sa ating communkity at sa ating mga pamilya," Balilo continued. As of Sunday, the total number of confirmed coronavirus in the country has reached 12,305, with 817 fatalities and 2,561 recoveries.
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