TEN repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who returned to Davao City tested positive for Sars-CoV-2, which causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio bared this during her radio interview on Monday, July 26, 2021, adding that of the 10, three were from Dhaka, Bangladesh and seven from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The positive cases have already been placed in the city’s designated treatment facility.
“They were already placed on the designated temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs) for OFWs,” Duterte-Carpio said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
The mayor added that the city will refer their cases to the Department of Health (DOH) regarding the protocol in identifying close contacts during the flights.
Regarding other information about the patients, the mayor said that some of the passengers who tested positive for Covid-19 are asymptomatic, others are showing mild symptoms, while others are needing medical care.
The OFWs who tested positive for Covid-19 were among the OFWs who arrived at the Davao International Airport on separate flights on July 15 and July 18.
As part of arrival protocols, the passengers were swabbed 48 hours before the flight and present negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results under City Ordinance 0477-21, Series of 2021 or the Mandatory Testing Prior to Entry into the Davao City via the Davao International Airport.
As part of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the OFWs and ROFs were required to undergo a 14-day quarantine in Davao City before proceeding to their final destinations.
In the quarantine facility, the returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) are situated on the higher floors. For instance, if the designated hotel has ten floors; only the seventh to the tenth floor shall be occupied by the ROFs.
The mayor previously allayed fears of potential surge of Covid-19 cases in the city following the recent acceptance of repatriation flights outside the country.
She assured the public that repatriated passengers will undergo a “bubble” arrival process and strict health protocols will be applied for passengers.
“They will be wrapped in a bubble, they will be wrapped in a bubble gikan sa (from the) airport padulong sa (towards their) isolation hotel, didto na buhaton ang kinahanglan pag-process sa ila (wherein they will undergo the required process for them),” Duterte-Carpio said.
The mayor emphasized the importance of the “bubble” process and strengthened health protocol for all arriving passengers. (With reports from Davao CIO)