The Department of Health (DOH) issued new omnibus guidelines where returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from countries with low to medium Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevalence may not be tested for COVID-19.
According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the returning OFWs without symptoms can directly proceed to their respective provinces without being tested for COVID-19. However, they must still comply with the requirements of the local government units (LGUs).
The DOH has pointed out that there is only a little possibility for returning OFWs from low to medium prevalence countries to get infected.
“If you would notice in previous protocols that we have, we will be testing OFWs when they arrive. Once they test negative, we send them to their provinces. When they arrive in their provinces, they get to be tested again and they get to be quarantined again. So we are just rationalizing the protocols.”
The Health department clarified that the said guidelines iron out the issue between the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and PhilHealth. It assured that it will look for ways to process the samples from returning OFWs.
The department also disclosed that it has identified laboratories that will substitute for PRC while resolving its issue with PhilHealth. – Report from Mark Fetalco
