Coronavirus test for 25,000 OFWs eyed to decongest quarantine facilities

 (AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The government is eyeing to test 25,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)  under quarantine in Metro Manila and Greater Manila Area, said deputy chief implementer of the government’s coronavirus response Vince Dizon.

“Ang immediate po nating goal in the next few weeks ay i-swab at i-test ang 25,000 OFWs at overseas Filipinos sa Metro Manila at Greater Metro Manila area. Ito po’y mga seafarers natin, land-based OFWS and overseas Filipinos,” Dizon said in an online Palace briefing on Tuesday.

(Our immediate goal in the next few weeks is to swab and test 25,000 OFWs and overseas Filipinos in Metro Manila and Greater Metro Manila area. They are our seafarers, land-based OFWs and overseas Filipinos.)

Testing the overseas Filipinos, Dizon explained,  is a move todecongest the quarantine facilities in Metro Manila and is in line with the directive to suspend inbound flights for a week.

“There are about 25,000 OFWs and overseas Filipinos who are in the greater Metro Manila area under quarantine. And we have to test them as soon as possible in order to be able to decongest the quarantine facilities, the hotels and various other quarantine facilities in Metro Manila before we can start accepting OFWs again,” Dizon said.

“Kaakibat nito yung decision ng ating chief implementer [Sec. Carlito Galvez] na magsuspend muna ng inbound flights in to Metro Manila,” he added.

(This is in line with the chief implementer’s decision to suspend inbound flights to Metro Manila.)

To further beef up the country’s testing capacity, the government set up four “mega swabbing centers” at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan,  Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Enderun Colleges in Taguig City, and the Palacio de Maynila Tent in Roxas Boulevard.

This is to complement the target of conducting 30,000 tests a day by the end of May.  

As of Monday, the Philippines has 9,485 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 623 fatalities and 1,315 recoveries.

GSG