ILOILO City – Gov. Rhodora Cadiao of Antique issued a directive establishing protocols in managing all returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
These rules will be applied during the period of the modified general community quarantine, Cadiao said in her Executive Order (EO) 121 released on Sept. 17.
Under Cadiao’s EO, ROFs who intend to return to Antique shall be assessed, oriented and counseled by the municipal health authority at their respective quarantine facility upon their arrival.
ROFs who have completed 14-day facility quarantine and with negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction from the port of entry shall be assessed and transported to their homes provided that they are in good health and with available documents issued by the appropriate agency.
Cadiao also said ROFs shall no longer be subjected to tore-swabbing and facility based quarantine by the receiving local government units (LGUs).
The Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERTs) will closely monitor their health status and report immediately to Municipal Health Office for any development of signs and symptoms for proper action.
For ROFs who have not completed their 14-day quarantine but with negative RT-PCR test result from port of entry shall be subjected to complete the 14 day quarantine (from the date their arrival in the Philippines) in the receiving LGUs identified quarantine facilities for ROFs.
According to the governor, re-swabbing will only be done in the event that the ROFs developed signs and symptoms while in quarantine; provided further, they may be discharge from quarantine on the 14th day as long as they remained asymptomatic and cleared by the local health authority.
The BHERTs will closely monitor their health status and report immediately to MHO for any development of signs and symptoms for proper action.
As of Thursday, Antique has a total 53 cumulative COVID-19 cases.
Of then 53, 35 are local cases and 18 are either locally stranded individual, authorized person outside of residence and ROFs./PN
