UMAPELA si ACTS-OFW chairman John Bertiz III sa mas mabilis na coronavirus disease 2019 testing sa mga umuuwing overseas Filipino workers.
Ayon kay Bertiz libu-libo pang OFW ang inaasahan na darating sa bansa matapos na maapektuhan ng COVID-19 ang kanilang mga trabaho.
“I urge the Inter-Agency Task Force and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to expedite the testing of repatriated OFWs as we expect more of them to return home next month after losing their jobs due to the pandemic,” ani Bertiz.
Umapela rin si Bertiz sa mga umuuwing OFW na habaan pa ang pasensya at pagtitiyaga sa paghihintay na lumabas ang resulta bilang pagsaalang-alang sa kaligtasan ng kanilang pamilya.
“I also appeal to our returning OFWs to be more patient and abide by the government’s quarantine procedures and regulations. This deadly novel coronavirus cannot be underestimated. We therefore cannot let our guard down,” saad ni Bertiz.
Ilang OFW ang napaulat na tumakas mula sa mga lugar kung saan sila inilagay para mag-quarantine. Ilan umano sa mga tumakas ay nagpositibo sa COVID-19
Suportado naman ni Bertiz ang mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) at Philippine National Police (PNP) sa quarantine regulations sa mga repatriated OFWs.
“I trust that the PNP will observe proper protocol in tracing these repatriated OFWs who have purportedly escaped from quarantine facility after being suspected of being positive with the virus and thereby, may have violated the quarantine procedures,” dagdag pa ni Bertiz.
“As our people struggle to adapt to the new normal, public health still remains our No. 1 priority. Each one of us has a shared responsibility to ensure that the safety and lives of other people are not unnecessarily and recklessly compromised.”