30 Filipinos from Wuhan cleared of Covid-19

FILE: The DFA brought back to the Philippines today a total of 30 Filipinos who wished to return home from Wuhan City, ground zero of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease (2019-nCoV ARD). (Photo: DFAPHL/Twitter)

MANILA – Around 30 Filipinos who were repatriated from Wuhan, China have been confirmed to be negative for the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Saturday.

The Filipino repatriates can now go back to their respective residences, as they exhibited no signs and symptoms of Covid-19 after their mandatory 14-day quarantine period, the DFA said in a press statement.

“All 30 repatriates from Wuhan received a clean bill of health and were cleared by the Department of Health (DOH) to leave the New Clark City quarantine facility today,” it said.

The DFA said all of them were declared “healthy” since they manifested no signs of fever, cough or sore throat during their 14-day stay at the quarantine facility in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

“The repatriates, joined by the 10-man Health Emergency Response Team from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the DOH, six flight crew members, and three ground crew operators are all declared healthy and showed no signs and symptoms of the Coronavirus Disease,” it said.

The 30 Filipinos from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the Covid-19 epidemic, are the first batch of repatriates who were quarantined in Clark City upon their return to the country on Feb. 9.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) rescheduled the repatriation of Filipinos onboard ship M/V Diamond Princess to early next week.

“This is to allow the Japanese health authorities to complete the laboratory testing of the 400 plus Filipino crew aboard the ship and comply with the established Japanese quarantine protocols,” the DOH said in a statement.

It added that the Japanese government ensured that it would provide appropriate health services for the affected Filipinos on board the ship.

“Our Tokyo Embassy is working closely with the Japanese health and foreign (ministries) to complete the quarantine protocols for the Philippine government to repatriate our Filipino crew members as soon as possible,” it said.

On Friday, Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Filipinos on board the cruise ship will be brought home by two carriers which will leave Japan two hours apart and will arrive on February 22.

Vergeire added that they are now being tested for the Covid-19, adding that the task force said all repatriates must be negative for the virus before they disembark from the ship.

The DOH said other repatriation efforts will also be undertaken by the DFA in the coming weeks.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo also assured the public that the government is taking all precautionary measures and safety protocols to ensure the “seamless” repatriation of Filipinos from Japan. (reports from Ma. Teresa Montemayor with PR/PNA)