(Eagle News) — The Philippine government is ready to repatriate the around 500 Filipinos who were stranded off California in the United States amid novel coronavirus fears.
So far, though, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said no request for the repatriation of the Filipinos on board the Grand Princess cruise ship had been made.
The cruise ship, which was quarantined after one of its passengers died due to COVID-19, carried an estimated 3500 people.
“Kung hinihingi nila ang repatriation, we will do it,” Panelo said.
Earlier, the Philippines successfully repatriated Filipinos from China, where Wuhan, the seat of the outbreak of the virus, is located.
Over 400 Filipinos from the cruise ship Diamond Princess were also successfully repatriated.
The Diamond Princess had been quarantined off Yokohama, Japan after one of its passengers who disembarked and joined a bus tour in Kyushu tested positive for COVID-19.
So far, the Philippines has five confirmed COVID-19 cases.