IATF to endorse waiving quarantine for fully vaxxed OFWs from ‘green’ countries – Bello
FILE PHOTO: Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III shares his remarks with President Rodrigo Duterte during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) core members at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City, on August 30, 2021. JOEY DALUMPINES/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Interagency Taskforce for the Emerging of Infectious Diseases (IATF) will recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte the waiving of quarantine for fully-vaccinated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from countries on the so-called green list, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Wednesday.
According to him, the IATF will come up with a resolution endorsing that fully-vaccinated OFWs from green countries need to only show negative RT-PCR test results while those from countries on the government’s “yellow” list need to just undergo quarantine for five days.
“’Pag galing sa green-listed, pagdating na pagdating dito, ip-PCR sila. ‘Pag negative sila, pwede na silang umuwi sa kani-kanilang mahal sa buhay,” Bello said.
(Those who are from countries on the green list, once they arrive here they will undergo [RT]-PCR [test]. If their result is negative, they can already go home to their loved ones.)
“Kung galing naman sa yellow, five days lang ang kanilang quarantine. Basta ang mahalaga, bago sila umuwi dito, ay bakunado na sila sa lugar na pinanggalingan nilang bansa,” Bello added.
(If they will come from countries on the yellow list, they will undergo quarantine for five days only. What is important is before they arrive here, they are already vaccinated in the country where they came from.)
Currently, fully vaccinated travelers from green or yellow countries have to undergo facility-based quarantine until the release of their negative COVID-19 swab test, which will be taken on the fifth day of their isolation.
READ: Gov’t cuts quarantine time for fully vaxxed inbound travelers
