ILOILO City – Local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas are adopting unified protocols in the management of returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).
The goal is to further bolster regional efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Resolution No. 35 of two regional task forces on COVID-19 laid out the following interim guidelines:
* for ROFs who have completed 14-day facility quarantine and with negative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCT) test result – from the port of entry they shall be assisted and transported to their respective provinces and homes; provided, that they are in good health and with available documents issued by the appropriate agency and shall be assessed by their receiving local task forces; provided further that the ROFs shall no longer be subjected to re-swabbing and facility-based quarantine by the receiving LGU; provided finally, the BHERTs (Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams) will closely monitor their health status and report immediately to the municipal or city health office (M/CHO) for any development of signs and symptoms for proper action
*for ROFs who have not completed their 14-day quarantine but with negative RT-PCR result – from port of entry they shall be subjected to 14-day quarantine (from the date of their arrival in the Philippines) in the receiving LGU’s identified quarantine facility for ROFs; provided, that re-swabbing will only be done in the event that the ROF develops signs and symptoms while in quarantine; provided further, that they may be discharged from quarantine on the 14th day as long as they remain asymptomatic and cleared by a Department of Health (DOH)-designated medical doctor; provided finally, the BHERTs will closely monitor their health status once discharged and report immediately to M/CHO for proper action
* for ROFs who have not completed their 14-day quarantine and RT-PCR testing was not done from the port of entry – they shall be subjected to 14-day facility quarantine and RT-PCR testing at their receiving LGUs
* all receiving LGUs shall duly provide transportation service to their arriving ROFs from the seaport/airport to their designated LGU; drivers and plate numbers of the designated vehicles shall be duly coordinated with the RTF-EOC for smooth disembarkation and dispatch operation at the airport and seaport
The resolution cited several guidelines issued earlier on the management of ROFs. These include the national COVID task force guidelines dated Aug. 19; DOH Memorandum 2020-0200; DOH Memorandum 2020-0258A; and Resolution 67 dated Aug. 31 issued by the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).
“Since symptoms-based na ang aton pag-manage sang mga citizens, we expect that part of the BHERTs’ role is to really identify those ROFs in their barangay and closely monitor them kon mag-develop signs and symptoms,” said Dr. Jane Juanico of DOH Region 6.
The resolution adopting unified protocols in the management of ROFs as signed by Department of Interior and Local Government regional director Juan Jovian Ingeniero (also the chief of the regional interagency task force for the management of emerging infectious Diseases), Office of Civil Defense regional director Jose Roberto Nuñez and DOH regional director Marlyn Convocar.
Ingienero acknowledged the sentiments of most LGUs in the region – that ROFs be quarantined and subjected to RT-PCR test upon arrival.
“We heard the LGUs…na-intindihan namin sila. Willing ang LGUs mag-quarantine if payag ang ROF,” said Ingienero./PN
