IATF urged: Quarantine OFWs before travel home

Benguet bares Covid rules to WHO, DOH 

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force (PIATF) for Covid-19 urged the National IATF to require 14-day quarantine period for returning overseas Filipinos at quarantine facilities in Manila before sending them to their provinces.

The   provincial incident management team headed by Dr. Maria Imelda Ulep has observed   ROFs issued quarantine clearance did not complete 14-day quarantine period in Manila.

When re-swabbed at the provincial facility, some tested positive for the corona virus.  

But since they have clearance, they were allowed to go home   while awaiting for final result.

Health officials said this could increase chances of transmission of COVID-19. 

Pending response of IATF,   

Gov. Melchor Diclas said those who have not completed the 14-day period with initial negative results will still be re-swabbed and will be required to stay   in an isolation facility.

Dept. of Interior and Local Government provincial director Rufina Fegcan called on local chief executives to establish their own isolation facilities in preparation for influx of cases under quarantine.

With limited isolation units of the province, municipal government were urged to establish quarantine facilities. 

Last week, the Benguet provincial government bared here its strategy in addressing Covid-19 particularly on protocols for returning residents to representatives from the World Health Organization and Dept. of Health.

Gov. Diclas said during an online briefing hosted by Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar WHO and DOH officials visited their temporary provincial quarantine facility here in Bagangay Wangal on July 10.

This was   part of the WHO-DOH mission to learn practices of Cordillera on Covid – 19 response and to look where DOH could provide technical assistance to sustain the good practices.  

Diclas said the local government unit of Benguet require locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and Returning Overseas Filipinos (RFOs) with complete documents and subject them to local health protocols and procedures,
Usually the provincial government fetches ROFs and LSIs from Manila and other areas.

Upon arrival, they are brought directly to the triage facility where they are checked of their documents and swabbed. If with negative result, they call the concerned LGUs to bring home their respective residents.
If they need to be quarantined, they will stay at the temporary provincial quarantine facility, he said.   

“Agree naman  ang WHO dito. Ang sina-suggest lang nila is magdagdag pa ng quarantine facility,” Diclas said.

The governor said the PLGU is now preparing another quarantine facility which is  a 40-bed capacity.  

Meanwhile,   Diclas thanked the national government for the  Bayanihan Grant to Provinces. equivalent to half month Internal Revenue Alllotment.

The P50 million released to the province which was used primarily to purchase   ventilators, and   personal protective equipment for frontliners at the   Benguet General Hospital and district hospitals,     is a big help in the province’s efforts against Covid-19. - PIA Benguet