OFWs Vaccinated with “Sinovac” Allegedly Barred to Enter Saudi Arabia

OFWs Vaccinated with “Sinovac” Alarmed After Saudi Arabia Announced Prohibition

Several Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) vaccinated with the Chinese vaccine “Sinovac” alarmed after Saudi Arabia’s government allegedly barred them from entering the country.

OFWs who have received the Sinovac vaccine, which is made in China, are concerned that they would be denied entry to Saudi Arabia. This comes after the Saudi government announced a new policy people who only vaccinated with Pfizer or AstraZeneca are allowed to enter.

Sinovac OFWs to Saudi
Image Source: ABS-CBN News

They will be subjected to a swab test and a seven-day quarantine if they will found vaccinated with Sinovac. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III stated that talks with the Saudi Arabian embassy are still ongoing.

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Bello negotiated for OFWs who had been injected by Sinovac to be able to work as soon as they arrived in the country. It was originally reported that some OFWs jabbed by Sinovac were denied permission to travel to Saudi Arabia this weekend by the authorities after learning of a new policy in place.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) does not want OFWs to be quarantined for seven days after they arrive in Saudi Arabia. As a result, the office wants to make sure that companies cover the costs of their employees who will be quarantined for seven days before commencing work.

Bello earlier stated that OFW deployment was temporarily halted by his department when Saudi Arabia implemented new COVID-19 health regulations, which would cost Filipino workers $3,500 to comply with. He emphasized that the same amount of money was already a year’s income for the majority of the employees.

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