IATF clarifies procedures on mass testing for COVID-19

The government’s mass testing for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) does not mean anyone can undergo testing on a whim, a Palace official said Tuesday.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the clarification after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) approved the guidelines for mass testing for people with suspected coronavirus infection.

The decision came as the government scales up efforts to increase the COVID-19 testing capacity for fast and effective detection of the virus during the extended quarantine period in Luzon, according to Nograles.

“Kapag sinabi na mass testing, hindi po ibig sabihin na anybody can test. (When we say mass testing, it does not mean anybody can test),” Nograles said during a virtual press conference Tuesday.

“Pag sinabing mass testing, ite-test yung kinakailangan na i-test (Mass testing means testing only those that need to be tested),” he said.

Among those qualified for testing are people with severe coronavirus symptoms, mild symptoms, and those vulnerable given their travel history and contact with COVID patients, according to Nograles.

Asymptomatic people but have a history of travel and contact with coronavirus case may also undergo testing, he added.

“This is the order of priority. If you see the last order of priority is those with no symptoms but with history of travel and/or contact of COVID-19,” he said.

“At the end of the day, kailangan may reason ka for testing. Hindi yung basta-basta ka lang nag-test dahil trip mo. (You must have a reason for testing. You can just get tested because you just want to), he said.

Nograles said health workers and other frontliners will also be given priority for coronavirus testing since they are exposed to COVID cases.

“When you say mass testing, let’s also still have that discipline. Let’s reserve the testing for those who need it,” he said.

He noted that the guidelines on mass testing have been issued to prevent the country’s health facilities from being overwhelmed.

“We don’t want people saying they want to test, then you will be overwhelming the laboratories. Our game plan is not to overwhelm our facilities. These laboratories are also one of our more important assets,” he said.

The President has approved the recommendation of the IATF to extend the Luzon-wide quarantine until April 30. The latest presidential decision came as the country’s cases of coronavirus continued to increase daily.

Nograles explained that the quarantine extension would give the government more time to enhance health facilities and resources on testing, contact tracing, isolation and treatment of patients.

He said the government aim to establish more testing centers so as much as 20,000 tests can be done daily by April 27.

He said they want to hasten the release of the test results within 24 hours so the patient who tests positive can immediately be isolated, and the intensive contact tracing can be pursued.

By improving the testing and other health capacities, he said the government can hopefully contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

In his weekly report to Congress, President Duterte said the Department of Health has accredited eight COVID-19 testing laboratories, including four in Metro Manila and one each in the cities of Baguio, Cebu, Davao and Iloilo. Around 100,000 testing kits have been delivered to these eight facilities.

He said the health department continues to assess and validate 63 applications for COVID-19 testing accreditation.

As of April 3, Duterte said at least 19,315 persons have been tested for coronavirus with an average of 900 to 1,200 tests conducted daily. The DOH aims to increase the capacity for COVID-19 testing to 8,000 to 10,000 tests a day by the end of April.

This article originally appeared on: https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/04/07/iatf-clarifies-procedures-on-mass-testing-for-covid-19/