6k OFWs waiting for COVID results quarantined — OWWA chief

Around 6,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are waiting for their coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test results are isolated in hotel quarantine facilities in Metro Manila, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said Wednesday.

These are the OFWs who were stranded due to delayed test results after the Philippine Red Cross halted its operations due to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s inability to settle its “ever-increasing outstanding balance.”

“Stranded in the sense na ‘yung 17 government labs ang nag pro-process nung results kaya tayo ay nananalig doon sa sinabi na three to seven days ang processing time,” OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

Cacdac also said the quarantined OFWs did not exceed the capacity of the quarantine facilities.

“So far kakayanin, kakayanin natin dahil tatandaan natin nung bandang Mayo kinaya naman nung 12,000 hanggang 15,000. Kaya sa ngayon kung pinag-uusapan natin ay 6,000 hanggang 7,000 ay kakayanin ito, kakayanin ito ng ating hotel quarantine facilities in coordination with the Department of Tourism,” he said.

Cacdac said 5,700 specimens have been processed by government laboratories, both national and local, in the past two days.

Cacdac also said that he has high expectations for finishing the backlog.

“Kasi kanina lang nag pulong… nandoon ‘yung mga government laboratories na talagang nanalig tayo sa kanilang committment na talagang they will process… within the normal times, processing times, schedules,” he said.

“So ‘yun napapakita naman nila, na demonstrate nila, in the last two days dahil 5,700 in two days ang lumabas na resulta,” he added. — RSJ, GMA News