6,500 OFWs tested negative for COVID-19

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced that 6,500 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in quarantine centers have tested negative for COVID-19 and will be allowed to go back to their homes.

PCG Commandant Admiral Joel Garcia said the cleared OFWs will get their certificates from the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and quarantine clearances from the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).

The OFWs were required to undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at the quarantine centers to determine whether they were infected with COVID-19.  

The OFWs will be sent home either Saturday or after typhoon Ambo exits.

The PCG continues to provide assistance and quarantine facilities for OFWs and returning Filipinos who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with the help of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr).