DOLE: No deployment ban to Middle East yet despite MERS-CoV

There is no need for a deployment ban to the Middle East despite the increasing cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) there, a report on GMA News TV's "Balita Pilipinas" said Monday.

Citing the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the report said the government is studying the feasibility of giving Middle East-bound OFWs immunization against MERS.

The report said it is the OWWA which whill allocate funds for the immunization of OFWs.



At least three Filipinos in the Middle East have already died from MERS, a novel virus often referred to as the Middle East’s own version of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and even diarrhea.

Human cases of MERS have also been reported in other Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Oman.

Meanwhile, to prevent the spread of MERS-CoV among the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia, all Filipinos, especially healthcare workers in hospitals and other medical facilities, are urged to strictly follow the prevention techniques advised by the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Department of Health in the Philippines.

Filipino healthcare workers are also advised to strictly follow infection control protocols in their respective workplaces. Those who have been exposed to MERS-CoV patients may wish to undergo voluntary MERS-CoV screening through their respective employers, especially if they intend to travel abroad. —KBK, GMA News

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