465 returning OFWs test positive for coronavirus – Sec. Carlito Galvez

National Task Force on COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez said a total of 465 returning overseas Filipino workers have tested positive for the coronavirus disease.

In an inter-agency task force meeting aired online late Tuesday night, Galvez said these OFWs were tested by the Philippine Red Cross, which in total performed over 22,000 tests. He also added that the country so far has tested around 30,000 OFWs.

“Kung hindi natin ni-PCR (polymerase chain reaction testing) ito, ‘yung 465 po na ito ay parang magiging second wave,” he said. “At kawawa ang mga local government units, lalo na yung mga walang alam tsaka walang PCR sa area at walang facilities.”

According to Galvez, the influx of returning OFWs poses a huge problem, as such threatens to overwhelm hotels in the country.

“Malaki po ang problema natin sa returning OFWs, kasi po sa ngayon more than 27,000 na po ang nasa Manila, at mayroong darating pa po na 42,000 this coming May and June. Mao-overwhelm po ang ating mga hotels,” Galvez said in a televised briefing.

To address the problem, Galvez said he has instructed different government agencies to help OFWs who have been given a health clearance to return to their hometowns.

“Si General Lorenzana, kinausap niya po ang maritime industry, kasama po ang mga ibang agencies at sino-solve na po natin ang ating problema sa OFWs. He directed DOTr and also OWWA, and the MARINA, to immediately release all the OFWs that have tested negative,” he added.

(General Lorenza has talked to the maritime industry, as well as other agencies, and we are trying to solve the problem with OFWs. He directed DOTr and also OWWA, and the MARINA, to immediately release all the OFWs that have tested negative.)

Galvez said around 30,000 OFWs have been tested, with 22,432 tested with the help of the Philippine Red Cross. Of this number, 465 have tested positive for COVID-19.

If they were not tested, these OFWs could have posed a huge threat to their hometowns, he said.