DOH calling for expanded testing, not mass testing

MANILA, Philippines — While the Department of Health (DOH) is calling for expanded testing, it does not mean that mass testing will be conducted, Health Secretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said Saturday.

This came after the DOH admitted that there was a need to expand testing for the coronavirus, including doing it house-to-house with help from various local governments.

“Gusto ko lang klaruhin, hindi natin sinabi na we are not testing that’s why, kaya canto ang ating mga datos at kailangan na mag shift ng mass testing. Ang ibig ho nating sabihin, gusto nating palawakin pa ang pagte-test natin, but this is not mass testing,” Vergeire said during the Laging Handa briefing.

“Ang gagawin po natin, yung pagba-bahay-bahay is for us to identify immediately those individuals who are sick para matanggal natin sila kanialng bahay kung sakali at mai-isolate natin sila. By doing this, yung pagtetest natin is still targeted,” the health official added.

Vergeire said that only those with symptoms or who had exposure to COVID-positive patients will be the ones tested.

“Pupunta tayo sa mga bahay at kung sino yung dapat natin i-test because they have symptoms or they were exposed, yun ang ite-test natin but this is not mass testing,” Vergeire said.

The DOH reported on Friday additional 8,719 COVID-19 cases, bringing the country’s number of total active cases to 102,799.

According to the case bulletin of the DOH, the country has already recorded a total of 979,740 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. Of the caseload, 10.5 percent remain active infections, of which 97.8 percent are mild and asymptomatic.

/MUF