FRONTLINERS and hospitalized patients will be the priority for the mass testing, which is set to be implemented starting on Tuesday.
In this morning's press briefing, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles set the record straight: The tests, which will be conducted by the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease, will cater to those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 first.
"We have been conducting testing. Quinalify din ni (National Task Force COVID-19 chief implementer) Sec. Carlito Galvez na when he said mass testing, hindi lahat ng Pilipino, lahat ng masa ay maaari nang magpatest. Ang ibig sabihin ng mass testing ay yung kailangang maitest ay dapat maitest," he said.
Nograles said that the initial tests would be first rolled out to patients and frontliners in hospitals.
"Yung ating mga hospitalized patients, yung may mga malubhang karamdaman, lalo na. Ang ating ipa-prioritize ay yung mga hospitalized patients lalo na yung elderly, pregnant, and those with pre-existing conditions. Ito yung mga pasyente na nasa hospital na di natin alam kung COVID-19 positive ba sila o hindi dahil di pa sila natetest," he said.
He added: "Priority na maitest natin ang mga health care workers dahil sila po ang pinaka-exposed sa COVID-19."
Nograles added that tests will also be given to persons under monitoring and persons under investigation. (As per the new DOH guidelines, PUIs are now called suspect cases.)
This testing coincides with the opening of the makeshift quarantine facilities like the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) and the World Trade Center in Pasay, and the Rizal Memorial Coliseum and Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
"Tugma yan sa plano ng pamahalaan na by today, ang ating mga quarantine at isolation facilities like PICC, World Trade, Ninoy Aquino, lahat yan ay dapat open na para mag-accept ng PUIs sa kanilang isolation and quarantine facilities," he said. "Pag nagtanggap na tayo, pwede na tayong magconduct ng testing."
Nograles also shared that the National Task Force COVID-19 is looking to at least test 3,000 patients per day and hope to increase the number to at least 8,000 by the end of the month.
"The more na maka-identify tayo ng positive cases, the more na ma-isolate natin at mabigyan natin sila ng proper health care," he said
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