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Filipino travelers to repeat COVID-19 test 5 days after arrival


Quarantined Filipino passengers from countries covered by UK coronavirus variant travel restrictions will repeat their coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) swab tests five days after arrival in the country.

According to Jun Veneracion’s report on “24 Oras,” the new protocol instituted by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will have passengers turned over to local government units once they test negative for the second time.

“Kapag nag-negative sila doon sa fifth day, that’s the time that they will be sent back to their local governments for continuation of home quarantine,” Health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

“So ang critical dito, ‘yung hand-off and proper endorsement to the local governments and local government units to ensure that this 14-day home quarantine will be implemented properly,” she added.

Passengers immediately undergo swab testing upon arrival at the airport. Even if they test negative, the passengers will be brought to a facility for a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Vergeire said the new protocol will be implemented once government agencies have issued operational guidelines. The costs of the two tests will also be covered by the government.

The Philippine Red Cross, however, expressed disapproval over the repeat test and pointed out that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporations’ (PhilHealth) had a significant debt.

“The other possibility that can happen is we will charge the OFW and the repatriates online payment or cash payment and they can reimburse with PhilHealth,” Dr. Paulyn Ubial, PRC Biomolecular Laboratory head, said.

The PRC however would abandon its plan to directly charge OFWs if PhilHealth could make regular payments.

“We cannot cover or be exposed to utang for that volume of tests. Kasi hindi naman po gobyerno ang Red Cross. We operate our laboratories based on the money that goes into our banks,” she said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News

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