MANILA, Philippines — Overseas Filipino workers returning to the country will now be required to undergo rapid antibody testing for the novel coronavirus, the government’s coronavirus task force announced Tuesday.
The measure approved by the task force on Monday will apply to both land-based and sea-based migrant workers who will arrive in the Philippines.
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“Sea-based OFW on board cruise ships who have been issued with a clean bill of health by the Bureau of Quarantine upon presentation of certificate of completion of 14-day quarantine issued at the point of origin immediately before departure shall nevertheless be subjected to a rapid antibody testing,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said.
According to the World Health Organization, which says rapid antibody tests have limited utility for clinical diagnosis, "these test kits detect the presence of antibodies in the blood of people believed to have been infected with COVID-19."
Aside from the mandatory rapid testing, OFWs are now also required to undergo a 14-day facility-based quarantine upon their return to the country.
Prior to the announcement, OFWs were either transported to quarantine facilities to isolate or were only required to undergo self-quarantine.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has so far repatriated 16,682 OFWs—13,213 of whom are seafarers, while 3,469 are land-based.
The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic rose to 170,042, according to a tally from US-based John Hopkins University. More than 2.4 million confirmed cases have been recorded since the pathogen first emerged in China in December last year.
In the Philippines, the virus has already affected 6,459 individuals, including 613 recoveries and 428 fatalities.