Davao City: The Davao City government will continue to apply the strict quarantine requirements for returning Dabawenyos on board sweeper and mercy flights organized by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
City Tourism Operations Officer Gene Rose Tecson made this assurance following reports that three returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) onboard a mercy flight from Manila were positive of the coronavirus. The three OFWs are currently admitted in one of the city’s isolation facilities.
Tecson, who is also in charge of the entry of stranded and returning residents, said that before a resident can board a sweeper or mercy flight in Manila or elsewhere must present a Certificate of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Testing with negative results.
She, however, underscored that even with a negative result arriving passengers will still undergo a further screening process and rapid testing.
“As part of our measure, we instituted our own guidelines which are mandatory RDT (Rapid Diagnostic Test) testing at the airport. The three who were certified negative for RT-PCR in Manila tested positive and immediately sent to SPMC for swabbing and they turned out to be positive,” Tecson said.
She added that the returning OFWs were not allowed to go out of the arrival area unless they test negative from the RDT.
Those who tested negative were shuttled to their homes to ensure that they do not go elsewhere and strictly undergo self-quarantine. They were also given screening cards where they should monitor themselves if they develop symptoms within 14 days.
Recall that 33 Davao City residents of the 43 returning distressed OFWs arrived on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, through the mercy flight organized by the DOTr and DILG.
Coronavirus outbreak in Davao City is still far from over with new cases reported. As of May 15, Davao City has 72 active COVID-19 cases; 25 deaths; and, 82 recoveries. CIO
