Coast Guard to conduct mass testing for seafarers on cruise ships in Manila Bay

Coast Guard to conduct mass testing for seafarers on cruise ships in Manila Bay
Kristine Joy Patag - May 1, 2020 - https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/05/01/2011137/coast-guard-conduc...

MANILA, Philippines — Returning Filipino seafarers aboard cruise ships at the Manila Bay anchorage area will undergo a swab test and will need to be cleared of COVID-19 before they are allowed to disembark, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

Admiral Joel Garcia, PCG commandant, in a streamed press conference said that there are some 4,100 Filipino seafarers on board the 12 cruise ships docked at the Manila Bay.

Those thousands have been waiting for word on when they can disembark and return to their families.

At least one of these cruise ships have been floating on Philippine waters for weeks has practically been in isolation as they have not had guests since March. They were only allowed to lay anchor on the third week of April as the government continues changing quarantine guidelines.

Garcia said the government will conduct mass testing on all repatriated OFWs aboard these cruise ships.

“We were ordered by the National Task Force to coordinate with the Philippine Red Cross on the use of their RT-PCR machines. These are accurate,” he said in Filipino.

RT-PCR testing is Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction that is considered the “gold standard” for COVID-19 testing.

“Once they get swabbed, the results [will be released] in two days or after 48 hours. And if it yields negative, they will immediately be helped by the Department of Transportation so they can board ships and come home to their provinces,” Garcia added.

Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, earlier said the third molecular laboratory at its former national headquarters in Port Area Manila is set to “open soon.”

“When operations begin, we will be able to conduct 12,000 tests per day in the NCR. We aim to put up 20 more laboratories throughout the entire country,” the Red Cross chairman added.

Garcia, meanwhile, stressed that the OFWs must remain in isolation while waiting for the results and clearance.

He added that the Bureau of Quarantine applies and upholds stringent measures before it issues a clean bill of health for those whose cruise ships were used for quarantine.
Swabbing may start this weekend

Garcia said they are looking to start swabbing the repatriated OFWs on Saturday or Sunday.

The PCG has recently employed 52 new medical technologists to augment their medical workforce as they assist repatriated OFWs.

“They will assist in the conduct of rapid antibody testing for COVID-19 to returning OFWs and seafarers as part of the ‘Bayanihan Repatriation Program’ of the national government,” it said.

Garcia also explained that the PCG coordinated with the Philippine Red Cross and BOQ in planning measures on going on board the cruise ships for the use of PCR facilities.

“We have more than 50 collectors for swabbing activities,” he added.

The mass testing for repatriated seafarers will also assure local government units that they are not infected with the coronavirus when they return to their families, the PCG commandant also said.

Garcia said that the PCG is expecting more or less 10 more cruise ships arriving in the month of May.

The Philippines on Friday reported 284 new infections, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 8,772.