IATF approves repatriation of 148 Filipinos from Macau

MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved on Tuesday the plan of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to repatriate 148 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Macau via chartered flight within the week.

Additionally, the IATF likewise approved the repatriation of 48 active members of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) via a commercial flight.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the returning OFWs will undergo the prescribed screening and quarantine measures being implemented by the government.

“The IATF-EID is closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 cases in other countries and is regularly updating its travel restrictions based on standardized risk assessment indicators. We are working nonstop to ensure that our kababayans [countrymen] are protected from COVID-19 no matter where they are,” he said in a statement.

There is no local transmission of the virus in the country, although three confirmed cases have been recorded.

“The WHO Director-General has cited the Philippines as among the few countries in the world which have not recorded any new cases of COVID-19 for more than two weeks. With a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, we can sustain our gains in containing the spread of the disease,” said Duque.

Edited by JPV