Some OFWs with COVID-19 in Hong Kong wait outside hospitals due to full capacity

Overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong who tested positive for COVID-19 are among those who had to wait outside hospitals before they could be admitted due to full capacity, according to a report on News Live on Saturday. Due to the fifth wave of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong due to the Omicron variant, hospitals were full and could not admit patients right away. According to authorities, Hong Kong hospitals are already 90% full. One OFW who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday just as she was about to leave for a trip back to the Philippines was not allowed to board the plane, along with two other OFWs. They waited overnight outside a hospital in Hong Kong until they were assisted by a nongovernment organization and personnel from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. The three are already in an isolation facility. The Department of Labor and Employment meanwhile is confirming with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office the reports of some NGOs that a few COVID-19 positive OFW domestic helpers have been spending the night on sidewalks due to the full capacity of healthcare facilities. On Saturday, Hong Kong recorded 6,063 new COVID-19 cases. Hong Kong authorities said they are ramping up isolation and treatment units to cope with the increasing COVID-19 cases. Kai Tak Cruise Terminal for instance would be turned into a dedicated COVID facility with 1,000 beds, they said. Last week, the travel plans of around 4,000 OFWs bound for Hong Kong were affected due to the Omicron variant. On Feb. 11, Hong Kong extended a ban on flights from eight countries, including the Philippines, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. —KG, GMA News

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