Philippines to repatriate 538 Filipinos on Japanese cruise ship once quarantine ends Wed.

February 17, 2020

With two days to go before the end of the quarantine period for those in the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, the Department of Health (DOH) os finalizing how repatriate 538 Filipinos in the ship.  

In a press conference, Assistant Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they are finalizing plans for the Filipinos slated to return to the country once the 14-day quarantine period set by Japan ends on February 19.

"We already have plans for this repatriation... but, currently, we are still on that discussion and planning stage," said Vergeire. 

Among the plans being discussed, she said, is whether there is a need to place them under quarantine anew despite coming from a 14-day isolation period inside the ship. 

"We're considering that all of these people will be considered for quarantine once they come back," said Vergeire. 

Also to be discussed is the facility where the Filipinos could be brought to once they arrive from Japan. 

"Those coming from Wuhan, it will apply the same protocol for those coming from this cruise ship in Japan. But of course the situation is different since there are more of them and they came from a confined space. These factors will have to be considered for us to appropriately manage them," said the health official. 

"(The Japanese government) is requesting if we can already do the repatriation once the quarantine period is over," said Vergeire. 

On Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that there are 27 Filipinos aboard the cruise ship quarantined off Yokohama, Japan, who have tested positive for COVID-19. DMS