The government is looking to conduct this month massive testing of patients under investigation (PUI) and persons under monitoring (PUM) to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Carlito Galvez, chief implementer of the government’s national policy on Covid-19, said the tentative start for the mass testing is on April 14, 2020.
However, he said the realization of the plan will depend on whether there are sufficient laboratories to conduct the tests.
“We are determined to fast-track the accreditation of laboratories so we could start the massive testing of the PUIs and the PUM,” Galvez said.
The Department of Health (DOH) earlier said aside from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) it has also activated its five sub-national laboratories to also start conducted tests of Covid samples.
It also said it is assessing 30 private medical facilities to determine if these could also be tapped to conduct similar tests.
Isolation facilities
Galvez explained the mass testing will compliment their “carrier centric” approach, wherein they will isolate Covid-19 patients away from the community to prevent further spread of the pandemic illness.
He said Covid-infected patients with mild symptoms and PUIs will be housed in the large quarantine and isolation facilities, which they are now preparing in Metro Manila.
The concurrent Peace Process Secretary said Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), World Trade Center, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Rizal Memorial Sports Complex are now in the process of being converted into such facilities.
Among the four, he said the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex is the first to be completed.
“DOH [Department of Health] will inspect it tomorrow (April 3) and will be open soon. This is for PUI or those with mild cases of Covid so we could declog hospitals that are now being overcrowded [by patients],” Galvez said.
He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will deploy three doctors and 50 nurses to man the quarantine and isolation facility.
Covid-19 patients with severe or moderate symptoms will remain in Covid referral hospitals.
Higher recovery
Galvez said they are optimistic that the number of patients who will recover from Covid would increase since most of them are in the country’s top hospitals.
“500 of the Covid patients are located in our best hospitals of country,” Galvez said.
As of April 2, 2020, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country is already 2,633. Of these, 107 died and 51 recovered.
Majority or 1,511 of the confirmed cases are in Metro Manila. It is followed by Calabarzon with 178 cases and Central Luzon with 65 cases.
The regions with the lowest cases are Regions 5, 8, 9, and 12.
Image credits: AP/Aaron Favila