DFA: No travel ban on on unvaccinated OFWs in Saudi Arabia
MANILA, Philippines — There is no travel ban on unvaccinated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) going to Saudi Arabia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has clarified.
DFA Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs Brigido Dulay said unvaccinated OFWs will only have to comply with the kingdom’s mandatory quarantine and COVID-19 test.
“To clarify, there is NO TRAVEL BAN on unvaccinated OFWs going to Saudi Arabia. OFWs not vaccinated with KSA-authorized vaccines will just have to undergo a Day 1 and Day 7 PCR test & mandatory 7-day ‘institutional quarantine’ upon arrival in Saudi Arabia,” Dulay said in a tweet on Tuesday.
“We are working with Saudi authorities to mitigate the impact of these new guidelines on our OFWs,” he added.
To clarify, there is NO TRAVEL BAN on unvaccinated OFWs going to Saudi Arabia. OFWs not vaccinated w/ KSA-authorized vaccines will just have to undergo a Day 1 and Day 7 PCR test & mandatory 7-day “institutional quarantine” upon arrival in Saudi Arabia. We are working with Saudi pic.twitter.com/hfLogms0mo
— Dodo Dulay (@dododulay) May 25, 2021
On Wednesday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III also said OFWs can still enter Saudi Arabia regardless of the brand of COVID-19 vaccine they have received.
Article continues after this advertisement“They will be allowed to enter,” he said in an online media forum.
Article continues after this advertisementBello said authorities in Saudi Arabia might have noticed that the Philippines currently does not have a steady supply of vaccines from different brands.
“They need our OFWs. Kung nabakunahan naman ang ating OFWs, there should be no danger of contamination pa. Siguro napansin din nila na hindi naman tayo sobra-sobra ang bakuna, so kung ano ang available na bakuna na pwede nating gamitin para sa ating OFWs ay dapat tanggapin na nila,” he said.
(They need our OFWs. So if our OFWs have been vaccinated, they do not have to worry about the danger of contamination. Maybe they also noticed that we don’t have a steady supply of vaccines yet so whatever we can use for OFWs, they should accept that.)
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