DFA, DoH bring home Filipinos from M/V Grand Princess
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Health (DoH) repatriated 444 overseas Filipinos (OFs) from the M/V Grand Princess cruise ship docked in the Port of Oakland in California, USA early morning of March 16. Among the 444 repatriated OFs are 438 crew members and six passengers. The repatriates underwent health screening upon disembarkation from the cruise ship facilitated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Information regarding the repatriates is currently being validated. “While the US government did not perform any mass confirmatory testing for our repatriates, only those who are asymptomatic were allowed to board the plane home. We will conduct testing for our repatriates immediately once they have settled. To echo our President, our priority now is to bring them home and ensure that they are well-taken care of,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said. “In the meantime, we will be observing strict quarantine and containment p...