MANILA, Philippines — Local government units will assist the Department of Health (DOH) in monitoring Filipino repatriates who will come from Macau as a precautionary measure to avert the spread of coronavirus disease, Health Chief Francisco Duque III said Wednesday.
“Bibigyan ng kopya ang listahan sa (Department of the Interior and Local Government) at sila ay makikipag-ugnayan sa mga pamahalaang lokal na masiguradong na binabantayan sila (repatriates) by way of monitoring or fever, coughs and colds and other symptoms of respiratory illness,” Duque said in a press conference.
(The DILG will be given a copy of the list of the repatriates and they will coordinate with local government to ensure that the repatriates will be guarded by way of monitoring if they have fever, coughs and colds and other symptoms of respiratory illness.)
Duque said monitoring is needed as the repatriates from Macau will only be undergoing home quarantine, which is advised for persons under monitoring (PUMs).
The DOH previously announced that the government is set to evacuate 148 Filipino workers from Macau through a chartered flight within the week. However, another 48 members of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration from Macau will be on board a separate plane which is a commercial flight.
Repatriates from Macau are considered PUMs which means they have traveled to virus-stricken countries including China, Hong Kong and Macau but showed no respiratory symptoms.