Sen. Risa Hontiveros. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros told the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday to “not give the public a false sense of security because the danger of local transmission is real.”
The senator issued the call after the DOH confirmed the first two Filipino cases of COVID-19 in the country, one of whom had no history of travel abroad.
“This is the first case of local transmission of COVID-19. Ibig sabihin, may nagkakahawaan na sa loob ng bansa [This means that there has been local transmission in the country],” Hontiveros said.
“This is a cause for concern and a wake-up call for our health officials. We should not give the public a false sense of security because the danger of local transmission is real,” she also said, citing reports of the Taiwanese and Australian nationals who have tested as carriers of the coronavirus after their travel to the Philippines.
Hontiveros urged the health department to review its screening and testing protocol.
“Parang hindi sapat [It seems that it is not enough]. DOH should intensify its monitoring and surveillance to include all travelers, not just those who come from countries with high prevalence of COVID-19,” she said.
Hontiveros also called on the DOH to intensify local community health systems in the fight against the virus.
“Detection and containment will improve if our community health surveillance and monitoring also improve,” Hontiveros said.
“Isama natin ang mga local government units at mga barangay sa laban kontra sa virus na ito,” she added.
(Let’s include local government units in this fight against the virus).
The senator said this global outbreak would “test the country’s public health system.”
“A weak health system poses a risk to public health. We need the DOH to be hawk-eyed and transparent with the public every step of the way,” she said.