7 OFWs Returning from West Africa Dec 1, likely to be Quarantined

MANILA, Philippines — Seven overseas Filipino workers who are coming home on December 1 from Ebola-stricken Sierra Leona, and from Senegal and Nigeria, where cases of the deadly disease are known to have occurred, are likely to be quarantined on arrival.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport quarantine doctor Ramon Barlisan said the seven, whose identities and the airline they will be taking he declined to disclose, were already undergoing the 21-day pre-departure quarantine in the countries they worked in.

All seven are coming home after their employment contracts expired.

There continues to be widespread transmission of Ebola in Sierra Leone. Senegal and Nigeria, on the other hand, have been declared Ebola-free after no new occurrences of the disease followed the initial cases.

While Barlisan said the returning workers’ quarantine on arrival would depend on the Department of Health’s recommendation, he said he would suggest that they undergo the precautionary measure because, “baka dito sa Pilipinas pumutok iyong fever (the fever might break out in the Philippines).”

He added that the returning workers had already been briefed about their likely quarantine upon return.

Barring any unforeseen event, he said the OFWs’ families could rest assured they would be together before Christmas.

He said the proposed quarantine area is the former administration building of the Nayong Pilipino, a short distance from the NAIA terminals.

Dr. Alexander Oba, NAIA head quarantine doctor, gave assurances that the international airport has enough equipment to handle any Ebola cases at the gateway facility.

(Source: Eric B. Apolonio, InterAksyon.com)