DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 Dec) – The City Government of Davao has reimplemented a 14-day facility-based quarantine for repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) amid the threat of Omicron variant of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson for the city’s COVID-19 Task Force, told Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Friday that the quarantine period was shortened to five days when the number of cases in Davao and in most parts of the country dropped, but the local government wanted the reimposition of a two-week facility-based quarantine to avert the possible spread of the Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa.
She said that Generose Tecson, City Tourism Office chief who is also the concurrent head of the Airport Monitoring Team, ensures that all arriving repatriated OFWs will be transported to the hotels, which are designated as quarantine facilities, upon arrival at the airport.
“They are being monitored once they enter Davao City. If there are OFWs or returning Filipinos, they cannot go home to their residences right away because they will be subject to facility-based quarantine,” she said.
She added that before they are released, repatriated OFWs must complete the quarantine period and test negative for infection.
She noted though that there is no reported Omicron case in the country.
DOH-Davao reported four new cases of COVID-19 in the city, bringing the total cases to 53,837 with 105 active, 51,944 recovered, and 1,788 dead.
In a press statement on Thursday, the Department of Health said no case of Omicron or B.1.1.529 had been detected from the 48 samples sequenced at the University of the Philippines – Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) on December 8.
Out of the 48 samples, 38 were Delta variant cases and the rest had non-variant of concern lineages or had no lineages detected. Samples came from 12 returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and 36 local cases from areas with high-risk average daily attack rates and case clusters, the DOH said.
It added that of the new Delta cases, 31 were local cases and seven were ROFs. Of the 31 local cases, six cases had indicated addresses in Cagayan Valley Region; while five cases were from the Cordillera Administrative Region; three cases each from MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western Visayas, SOCCSKSARGEN, and the National Capital Region; two cases each from Central Luzon and CALABARZON; and one case from Davao Region. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)