MANILA, Philippines — Crew members of the aircraft that will fly the over 400 Filipino seafarers from a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) gripped cruise ship in Japan will no longer be subjected to a 14-day quarantine, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.
“Yung airline crew, dahil hindi naman sila lalabas, nakaseal off sila, baka hindi na ito iquarantine, naka PPE naman sila, personal protective equipment, at hindi sila lalabas ng kanilang cabin, yung pilot’s cabin,” DOH Secretary Francisco Duque said in an interview on dzMM.
(Since the airline crew do not go out and they’re sealed off, they won’t be quarantined. They’re wearing personal protective equipment and they won’t be going out of the cabin, the pilot’s cabin.)
“Ang recommendation, hindi na kailangan (i-quarantine) dahil nakaseal off naman, protektado naman sila at hindi nakikihalubilo,” he further said.
(The recommendation is that there’s no need for them to be quarantined because they are sealed off and protected and they don’t mingle with passengers.)
Local airlines have expressed concern about not having enough personnel if crew members if they would be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine imposed by the DOH, Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal earlier said.
The repatriation of over 400 Filipino crew members of the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama, Japan is scheduled Tuesday afternoon.
DOH said there would be two separate flights three hours apart to bring the Filipinos back to the country. They will be quarantined at the New Clark City.