The second batch of repatriates is now boarding the flight to Manila! ✈ This batch is expected to arrive sometime before midnight.@teddyboylocsin #DFAinACTION#AssistancetoNationals pic.twitter.com/3PVodTcmsH
— DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) February 25, 2020
(Eagle News) – More than 400 Filipino repatriates from the Japan cruise ship, the MV Diamond Princess, have now boarded the two chartered planes that will bring them to the country Tuesday night, Feb. 25.
This was according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) which twitted photos of the Filipino repatriates boarding the planes bound for Clark in Pampanga.
It said that the first flight is “expected to arrive in Clark sometime before 9 p.m.”
The department also posted a video of the second batch of Filipinos to be repatriated boarding the second chartered flight back to the Philippines in Japan. This second flight is expected to arrive in the country just before midnight tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 25, it said in a tweet.
Most of the more than 400 Filipino repatriates are crew members of the MV Diamond Princess.
The first batch of MV Diamond Princess repatriates has now boarded the flight back home to the Philippines! ✈ The flight is expected to arrive in Clark sometime before 9:00 p.m. pic.twitter.com/6U65TQpitj
— DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) February 25, 2020
They have already tested negative for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and were asymptomatic as well, meaning they did not exhibit symptoms of the disease such as fever, coughs and colds.
Members of the repatriation teams from the Department of Health and the DFA facilitated the screening and safe return of Filipinos from the M/V Diamond Princess Cruise Ship.
Upon arrival, they will undergo another 14-day quarantine period at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.
Of the 538 Filipinos on board the Japan cruise ship, 80 had already tested negative for the disease, according to DFA Undersecretary Brigido Dulay in an earlier tweet.
This means that those coming home would be around 460, down from the previous figure of 480 that had earlier been cited, when only 59 had tested positive for the virus.
