The Philippine government is set to repatriate by early next week the Filipinos aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama, Japan.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the repatriation plan of the Filipinos during its meeting Friday at the Department of Health - Central Office.

"As of date, there are 497 Filipinos who are to be repatriated to the Philippines. They are expected to arrive early next week at the Clark International Airport through two chartered flights from the Haneda Airport," he said.

According to Panelo, the IATF has warranted that the prospective repatriates should have completed a 14-day quarantine period in Japan and have secured clearance certificates from the latter's Ministry of Health before their embarkation for the said travel.

Upon arrival, he said any repatriate who will show symptoms of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) shall be brought immediately to the nearest hospital that may be referred by the DOH.

For asymptomatic repatriates, the official said they would be securely transported to the Athlete’s Village in New Clark City to again undergo 14 days of quarantine.

The concerned government agencies, such as the DOH, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Bureau of Immigration, among others, are preparing to execute the repatriation plan, he said.

The agencies are also set to provide support and assistance for the safety of the repatriates, as well of the personnel who are tasked to render aid, Panelo added.

He said Office of the President assures the public all precautionary measures and safety protocols are in place for the seamless repatriation of the Filipinos from Japan.

There are 531 Filipino crew and seven passengers at MV Diamond Princess, which was docked at Yokohama and passengers and crew were not immediately allowed to disembark to ensure that COVID-19 would not spread. Celerina Monte/DMS