MANILA, Philippines — All Filipinos brought home from Wuhan in China, the ground zero of the COVID-19 outbreak, have been cleared by health authorities to leave the quarantine facility in New Clark City on Saturday, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“All 30 repatriates from Wuhan received a clean bill of health and were cleared by the Department of Health to leave the New Clark City quarantine facility today,” the Foreign Affairs Department said in a Saturday release.
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The group of repatriates, together with a 10-member Health Emergency Response Team, six flight crew members and three ground crew operators — totaling 49 people — were declared healthy and exhibited no signs or symptoms of the virus.
They are the first batch of Filipino repatriates brought back by the DFA to the Philippines from COVID-19-affected areas.
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Since February 9 when they traveled from Wuhan, the said Filipinos have been quarantined for two weeks at the Athlete’s Village in New Clark City.
Malacañang also said that around 500 Filipinos currently quarantined aboard the COVID-19-stricken cruise ship Diamond Princess docked in Japan are expected to be repatriated early next week.
As a health precaution, the incoming batch or batches of repatriates from Japan will undergo another two-week quarantine period in the same facility in New Clark City.
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