President Rodrigo Duterte called on authorities to find ways to allow all overseas Filipinos to travel back to the Philippines and return home to their families.
The president remains insistent on his request to allow all Filipinos who have been waiting to head back home, despite the emerging cases of the Delta COVID-19 variant among returning overseas Filipinos.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles revealed that the president continues to push for the unimpeded return of all Filipinos.
“Para kay Pangulong Duterte, mga kapwa natin Pilipino ‘yan. Kung gusto nila umuwi, karapatan po nila umuwi sa ating bansa. Hindi natin pipigilan ang kapwa natin Pilipino maka-uwi sa atin. Unfair po yan para sa kapwa natin Pilipino kung pipigilan natin sila umuwi,” Nograles said in a radio interview on Sunday.
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Nograles assured the national government has set in place testing and quarantine protocols.
“May protocols naman tayo in place. At ang ibig po sabihin ng protocols natin, itong 10-day quarantine para sa mga countries na non-green countries or non-green jurisdictions. Tapos swab test sa seventh day (We have protocols in place. These include a 10-day quarantine from those coming from non-green countries or non-green jurisdictions. And then they get swabbed on the seventh day),” he added.
Earlier, the Department of Health confirmed 55 new cases of the Delta COVID-19 variant, 17 of which came from returning overseas Filipinos.
Nograles said current testing and quarantine protocols are “effective” in preventing further transmission of the new variant.
Duterte earlier said he is eyeing stricter health measures against the Delta variant.
“The reported local cases in the country is a cause for serious alarm and concern. Again it’s redundant but it’s good as any warning that can be given to people. We may need to impose stricter restrictions to avoid mass gathering and prevent superspreader events,” he said in his July 19 public address.
The Delta coronavirus variant was first detected in India and found to be 60 percent more infectious than the Alpha (United Kingdom) variant.
Delta caused the surge in Covid-19 cases in other countries, according to reports.
