Aklan prov'l gov't reiterates guidelines on returning OFWs, LSIs

KALIBO, AKLAN, June 12 (PIA) -- The Provincial Government of Aklan, through the Provincial Health Office here, reiterated the recent guidelines on the management of returning Overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs) and Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs) to the province due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This is in response to the various queries of the public on the successive arrivals of the OFWs and LSIs in the province as well as on the protocols being applied by the local government units here in the management of the returning Aklanons. 

Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores said that the advisory he issued on June 3 was pursuant to the operational guidelines on the management of OFWs and LSI under the National Task Force Against COVID-19 Order No. 2020-02, Interagency Task Force Resolution No. 40, and Department of the Interior and Local Government Memo Circular No. 2020-087.

Per the new guidelines, OFWs will be received and will have to undergo registration and assessment procedures upon arrival in the province by the PHO Assessment Team in a provincial Temporary Holding Area; the same team that will coordinate also with the local government units for the home quarantine of OFWs.

The OFWs, at the same time, should present their medical clearance certificate, issued by the accredited Department of Health facility to the PHO Team.

The certificate should state that the repatriated OFW is negative for coronavirus using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test and had completed the mandatory 14-day quarantine before they were transported to Aklan.

Absence of the aforesaid requirements, the OFWs will be referred to a Ligtas Covid Center for isolation and shall only be released if the RT-PCR yielded negative result.

The OFWs will be temporarily housed in Provincial LCCs at a maximum of two days for the respective municipalities to have enough time to coordinate with health units and the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) in preparing the homes of the OFWs for 14-day quarantine.

According to PHO-Aklan, OFWs will no longer be subjected for confirmatory test, unlike with the previous protocol. Only if the OFW develops any Coronavirus Disease related symptoms within 14-day home quarantine that he will undergo the RT-PCR test. While waiting for the result he will be quarantined at the Municipal LCC.

If the result is positive, immediately the OFW will be admitted at Dr. Rafel S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital, the designated Provincial Referral Hospital of Aklan. Otherwise, the returning Aklanon will be sent home to finish the quarantine.

The Municipal Health Officer will issue a Certificate of 14-day Home Quarantine Completion to the OFW who remains asymptomatic until the end of 14-day quarantine.

Meanwhile, for the LSIs, they will be received in a Municipal Temporary Holding Area where they will be assessed by the Municipal Health Office Assessment Team and the former should present the Medical Clearance Certification and Travel Authority.

Absence of the said documents, LSIs can be denied entry at any port. However, LSIs that come from within Panay Island will be exempted from presenting the documents.

All LSIs will be subjected to 14-day Home Quarantine and monitored by BHERT.

The same process that is applied to OFWs will be used for the LSIs if the latter develop any COVID related symptoms and also if LSIs remains asymptomatic throughout the quarantine period. (LTP/SQP/ PIA-Aklan)

source https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1044593