The city government of Davao has helped 1,045 residents of Davao Region stranded in various parts of the country to return home since April 29, including those flown in by sweeper and mercy flights, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte said on Monday.
At the same time, Mayor Inday said that 2,455 individuals were also assisted in going back to their hometowns as of May 21.
The latest batch of residents and those from neighboring areas came in via a sweeper flight from Cebu on Monday.
Of the 54 sweeper flight passengers, 51 are residents of the city while two are from Kidapawan City. The other passenger is a resident of the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS). They were stranded in Cebu, which has over 1,800 cases as of Sunday, since the ban on flights to Davao City took effect in March.
Mayor Inday said that as the city continues to receive returning residents, a system had been put in place to address possible problems, such as returning residents coming out positive of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“I-expect lang pud ninyo nga duna gyuy mag positive sa ilaha, because walay tambal/bakuna, motuyok ang mga tao, motuyok gyud na ang kagaw. But ang importante duna tay sistema [sa health screening] nga naandam sa pag manage sa Covid-19,” she said.
Mayor Inday said all passengers of the said sweeper flight were immediately subjected to a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and other forms of examination to determine if they have symptoms of Covid-19. The process they had undergone was similar to what other returning residents had been subjected to.
City Health Office Dr. Josephine Villafuerte said that they have examined each passenger before they were sent to their homes, isolation facilities, or the Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC).
“Based on our health screening we will determine if they will have a mandatory 14-day home quarantine or they will go to the center or at SPMC,” she said. “If the passenger has symptoms of Covid-19 like cough, fever, or any respiratory disease symptoms, they will be immediately transported to SPMC,” she added.
Villafuerte said that all the arriving passengers on Monday, however, tested negative during the RDT screening. CIO
