Gov’t to screen evacuees for COVID-19 via antigen tests—Palace

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The government will use antigen test kits to screen for the coronavirus individuals seeking shelter in evacuation centers following the recent typhoons that hit the country, Malacañang said Tuesday.

The OCTA Research Group earlier urged the government to boost testing in evacuation centers to detect the possible transmission of the respiratory disease following the onslaught of typhoons.

“Bago pa po i-mungkahi yan ng OCTA Research Group, inaassure ko po kayo na in place na po yung polisiya ng gobyerno na magbigay po ng COVID testing sa mga evacuation centers,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.

(Even before the OCTA Research Group proposed this, I assure you that the government policy is already in place to give COVID-19 testing in evacuation centers.)

“At ngayon po, gagamitin nga po natin para mas marami at mas mabilis ay ang antigen tests sa lahat ng ating mga evacuation centers,” he added.

(Right now, we will use antigen tests to accommodate more and conduct faster screening in all our evacuation centers.)

The Department of Health (DOH) warned of a strong possibility of local COVID-19 cases increasing due to overcrowding in evacuation centers.

The DOH urged the public to continue wearing face masks despite the difficult situation to prevent being infected with the coronavirus.

JPV