Conduct COVID-19 tests in schools, prisons, emerging hotspots, gov’t told

MANILA, Philippines — Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Risa Hontiveros are urging the government to expand its mass coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing drive and cover schools as well as emerging “disease hotspots” such as prisons, markets and urban poor communities.

In a statement on Monday, Gatchalian said students, teachers and other school personnel should be cleared by local health officers or by any DOH-accredited medical facility to ensure a safe reopening of classes, since many confirmed COVID-19 cases do not exhibit symptoms.

Gatchalian also urged the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Education (DepEd) to develop a “safe school reopening plan” to prevent another surge of COVID-19 cases in the country.

He said it is important to make sure local communities or barangays are free from COVID-19.

Gatchalian, who heads the Senate’s Basic Education Committee, also underscored the need to ensure thorough disinfection of schools, especially those which served as quarantine and treatment facilities.

New supplies of books and equipment must also be provided, he added.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) or public-private partnerships on mass testing should continue to shoulder the cost of testings, the senator added.

Gatchalian, meanwhile, said that in order to ensure a safe reopening of classes, appropriate policies and guidelines such as regular temperature checks on students and school personnel should be implemented.

If students or school personnel are unwell with a cough, fever or sore throat, they should immediately be isolated and sent home, or to a health facility, he further said.

Limit physical interaction

The senator also proposed limiting physical interaction between teachers and students and maintaining social distancing measures when classes reopen.

These include a ban on gatherings of more than 20 people in spaces as big as regular classrooms, he said.

Gatchalian further stressed that schools should have adequate safe water supply, hand washing stations, and public health supplies such as alcohol, sanitizers, and thermometers.

Public health programs on basic measures such as handwashing, basic hygiene, and vaccination should continue in schools, too, he added.

The senator likewise raised the need for teachers to be trained on emergency response in the event of infection and transmission in schools.

He also said that should future rounds of school closures occur, DepEd must be ready to roll out a contingency plan to ensure the safety of learners and foster the continuity of learning.

“Ang kaligtasan ng ating mga mag-aaral, mga guro, mga magulang, at mga kawani ng mga paaralan ang ating prayoridad sa pagpapasya kung kailan muling magbubukas ang klase ngayong taon,” Gatchalian said.

“Mahalagang masiguro natin na may tamang paggabay ang ating mga paaralan at may sapat silang kakayahan na magpatupad ng mga polisiyang itataguyod ang ating kaligtasan mula sa COVID-19,” he added.

Intensifed mass testing

Senator Hontiveros likewise urged the DOH to intensify its mass testing efforts before the lifting or modification of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed by the government.

“Whether the enhanced community quarantine  is extended or modified, we cannot proceed without devoting more efforts towards mass testing of Filipinos,” she said in a separate statement.

“Kung mabilis ang pagkalat ng COVID-19, dapat ay mas mabilis ang pagtest at paggamot natin sa ating mga kababayan,” she added.

Hontiveros also called on the DOH to expand the government’s testing objectives “to service entire communities, frontliners, the elderly and immunocompromised persons.”

“Malinaw na hindi dapat limitado sa mga taong may malalang sintomas ng COVID-19 ang ginagawang testing ng pamahalaan para matigil ang pagkalat ng sakit na ito. Our testing protocols need to be updated to adapt to emerging realities on the ground, especially if the ECQ is extended to May,” she said.

“Given what we now know, government should not be prevented from testing asymptomatic persons, since it is clear that even people without symptoms of COVID-19 can carry and spread the disease among their families and communities. We have to test as many people as we can, as soon as we can,” she added.

Hontiveros also appealed to the government to closely monitor, and test if possible, people in emerging “disease hotspots” such as prisons, markets and urban poor communities.

“Kapag nagkaroon ng kaso ng COVID-19 sa mga kulungan, palengke, masisikip at matataong lugar kung saan nakatira ang marami nating mahihirap na kababayan, mabilis ang pagkalat ng sakit dahil dikit-dikit ang mga tao,” she said.

“We should stop the disease at the onset by closing in on early cases so that they can be isolated and treated to prevent further transmission,” she added.

Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe said mass testing should also cover workers in wet markets, supermarkets and drugstores, as well as security guards and holders of rapid passes.

“At every shift, they continue to report to work so we will have access to food and other essential needs, risking their lives as we stay safe at home,” Poe said in a statement.

“These frontliners have become the nation’s indispensable lifelines. We expect employers and companies to take action in assisting them and to promptly coordinate with concerned agencies to ensure the utmost protection for their workers and our communities,” she added.

To date, Philippine health officials have confirmed 6,259 COVID-19 cases in the country.

Of the number, 409 have died, while 572 patients have so far recovered.

To date, Philippine health officials have confirmed 6,259 COVID-19 cases in the country.

Of the number, 409 have died, while 572 patients have so far recovered.

GSG