All 58 Palau residents who were recently repatriated from Guam and Taiwan tested negative for COVID-19.
The Palau National Emergency Committee made the announcement on Friday, June 19.
The group returned to Palau on chartered flights last week. The 47 stranded on Guam included a number of University of Guam students and returning residents.
The remaining 11 who were flown out of Taiwan include medical referral patients and their family members.
All 58 were immediately placed under quarantine upon arrival in Palau.
Strict protocols
According to the Office of the President of Palau, the chartered flights that brought them home implemented precautionary measures to reduce the risk of infection. These precautions include the use of masks, adequate spacing between passengers, and cleaning and disinfecting procedures.
At least 72 hours before their scheduled flight, the passengers went through COVID-19 testing. Passengers coming from Guam were also required to complete the 14-day mandatory quarantine before the flight.
Rumors
Meanwhile, the Palau National Emergency Committee also issued a statement negating rumors that several individuals had violated the mandatory quarantine rule.
“The National Emergency Committee (NEC) informs the public that social media postings and rumors that have been apparently circulating since June 12th about certain quarantined individuals being sighted in public are all false.”
According to NEC, all individuals under quarantine have been under 24-hour monitoring and have not left their rooms.
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