Coronavirus testing for PUV drivers sought

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Grace Poe on Monday called for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing of public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers to protect them, their families and the commuters once they hit the roads anew.

“Adequate safeguards and support must be in place if our PUV drivers must hit the road under the reduced capacity protocol,” Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, said in a statement.

“To protect not only them but also our commuting public, our drivers must be included in the mandatory COVID-19 testing without out-of-pocket expense,” she added.

In areas placed under general community quarantine, public transportation’s operation is allowed to resume but at a reduced capacity to ensure physical distancing.

The National Public Transport Coalition (NPTC) is also calling for mandatory COVID-19 testing of drivers returning to work to reduce the risk of the virus transmission.

“While we are eager to go back to work as we need to provide for our families, we also do not want to be a vehicle and a source of increased new COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, or worse, be the origin for its second wave later on,” NPTC said in a separate statement.

“At most, we propose that all persons who will go back to work should undergo a mandatory COVID-19 testing to minimize the risks of not only the drivers and passengers, but also other front liners,” the group added.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier reiterated that testing is not recommended for those who were not exposed to anyone with the coronavirus even as workers return to their jobs following the relaxed quarantine rules in some regions.

Aside from mandatory testing, Poe also urged the government to provide PUV drivers fuel and livelihood subsidy “to make up for the expected decrease in their take-home income.”

At the same time, the senator pushed for the  expedited release of cash assistance to drivers who are “putting themselves on the frontline to rush to our side and keep the economy moving.”

“We owe it to them that after every trip at the end of the day, they return to their families safely and not shortchanged,” Poe said.

GSG