Ahong backs Gwen’s no-quarantine-for-returning-OFWs proposal

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan. CDN Digital photo | Futch Anthony Inso

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan is backing the proposal of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to no longer quarantine returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who would arrive at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

Chan said he is not against the proposal, as long as the returning OFW can present a negative result of the RT-PCR test.

“Ang ila man gud within seven days nga i-quarantine and they will do another five days to check it if nag-positive ba. Ang akong baruganan, upon arrival, kung naka RT-PCR test unya fully vaccinated, for me no need (to quarantine),” Chan said.

But Chan said that if the returning OFW has not yet been tested for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), he/she should undergo the RT-PCR test.

If the swab test yielded a negative result for the virus, the mayor said that the returning OFW should already be permitted to go home.

But if he/she yielded a positive result, he/she should be quarantined and will only be allowed to go home until he/she yielded a negative result for COVID-19.

“Same with governor Gwen, those who are Filipino workers, Filipinos living abroad who want to go home, and visit, do vacation, ang stand is one day RT-PCR shouldered by the DOH, when its negative, automatically they can go home,” Chan added.

Aside from the returning OFWs, Chan also wants the same treatment for foreign tourists who wish to visit the city for tourism activities, as long as they have completed the COVID-19 vaccination.

Currently, Chan is still waiting for the reply of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-MEID) on his appeal to allow foreign tourists to visit the city for tourism activities.   /rcg