Mayor Sara Duterte on Thursday asked agencies in charge of arranging flights for stranded Dabawenyos to off-board passengers who manifest symptoms or those who tested positive for COVID-19 from mercy flights.
The mayor made the call after several returning Dabawenyos, through sweeper flights, tested positive of the virus or have manifested symptoms of COVID-19 infection.
Last week, four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) aboard a sweeper flight tested positive of COVID-19. A few days later, two more persons who came home through another sweeper flight failed the health screening conducted by the City Health Office.
The city government has so far accommodated 2,266 inbound passengers and 3,635 outbound passengers since April 29.
“We need to screen inbound passengers and also screen outbound passengers because those who are COVID-19 positive or manifested symptoms should not be allowed to board,” she said.
Otherwise, she said, the flight crew and the other passengers are put at risk.
She said the city will establish a screening station at Francisco Bangoy International Airport to ensure that all individuals boarding their flights, when commercial operations return, are free of the disease. A team from the CHO will man the screening 24/7.
“We asked our City Health Office to prepare a 24-hour rotational scheme who will render duty at the airport,” she said.
BY RHODA GRACE SARON ON MAY 31, 2020
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