Gov't prepares to repatriate 13K OFWs amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Philippine government is preparing to repatriate overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 13,000 already brought home as of April 15, 2020.

On April 15, 2020, 354 Filipino seafarers from Miami, Florida, returned to the Philippines aboard a Qatar Airways flight after working on four Carnival cruise ships.

These seafarers underwent mandatory health inspections by the DOH-Bureau of Quarantine upon arrival and will be subjected to a 14-day facility quarantine in DOH-approved hotels.

As of April 15, 2020, nearly 1,000 Filipino seafarers were stranded in France and awaiting repatriation.

The Philippine Ambassador to Paris is coordinating with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Madrid and the French government for the repatriation of these seafarers.

Major cruise operators are arranging repatriation flights to Manila for their Filipino crew members.

The government has prepared over 2,600 quarantine facilities nationwide with a capacity of 165,756 patients.

Globally, the number of Filipinos infected with COVID-19 reached 704 as of Tuesday, with 88 deaths and 216 recoveries.