DAVAO CITY –– The government plans to go on massive coronavirus testing with its one million test kits for ten million Filipinos in areas where barangay lockdown is implemented.
But the Department of Health has yet to identify the areas where massive testing will take place.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday said the country will have massive testing and intensified tracing.
“Magkakaroon po tayo ng massive — massive targeted testing, intensified tracing po, at saka quarantine ng mga close contact. Ang magandang balita po, mayroon na po tayong 10 million testing kits na gagamitin na natin doon sa mga lugar na na-lockdown po na mga barangay.”
(We will have massive, massive targeted testing, intensified tracing and quarantine to all in close contact, the good news is–we have 10-million testing kits to be used in areas where there are barangay lockdowns.)
The government will implement strictly localized lockdown and implement Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) which has 80 percent case. It will be made public through publication.
He added that the government will adopt stringent enforcement of minimum health standards, which include frequent hand washing, wearing a face mask, social distancing, and the fourth in the minimum health standard is-wearing of face shields.
The Department of Health is now processing when to pilot the pool testing- Roque explained before only one person can be tested for a test kit, but now it can be used for ten persons.
Intense contact tracing will be spearheaded by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
To respond to the reported lack of hospital beds, the IATF ordered the government hospitals to increase their bed capacity allotment form 30 percent to 50 percent for Covid-19 cases.
While private hospitals are also requested to allot 30 percent of their bed capacity for coronavirus patients from the current 20 percent of their hospital capacity.-Newsline.ph
