Press Release
April 5, 2020

Gatchalian favors ECQ extension for reliable mass testing results

With mass testing for COVID-19 set to be conducted two days after the scheduled end of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on April 12, Senator Win Gatchalian favors extending the quarantine period by at least two weeks. He said mass testing will happen on April 14 and lifting the ECQ before that date will undermine the reliability of mass testing results and would only accelerate the spread of the virus. The two-week period, he said, will also need to analyze test results.

Gatchalian said mass testing will paint a clearer picture of COVID-19 spread in the country and help track down those who are infected so they can at once be isolated or ordered quarantined. The senator emphasized that mass testing should have a targeted approach and prioritize those who have been exposed to COVID-19-positive patients such as those Persons under Monitoring (PUM), Persons under Investigation (PUI) and the frontliners. Gatchalian said mass testing will also cover asymptomatic carriers who may be unknowingly spreading the disease. He cited the case of Iceland, where laboratory mass testing revealed that around 50 percent of cases have no symptoms.

He said this is a better approach to flatten the curve and at the same time it would lead to a more efficient use of resources and avoid further strain to the country's already overwhelmed health care system.

"Without mass testing, we are totally blind. And when we are blind, the risk is higher of spreading the virus again, thereby wasting the 30-day Enhanced Community Quarantine", Gatchalian explained.

"Bagama't may ilang araw na lamang ang natitira bago magwakas ang enhanced community quarantine, nakikita nating patuloy pa rin ang pag-akyat ng bilang ng mga pasyenteng may COVID-19 sa bansa. Kaya dapat ipatupad pa rin ang social distancing habang mayroong mass testing", Gatchalian pointed out.

The senator added that it is important for the country to have a sustainable capacity for mass testing and urged the Department of Health (DOH) to fast-track capacity-building and accreditation of testing laboratories.

The senator said that mass production for locally-produced testing kits developed by the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) will boost the country's testing capacity. Between April 4 to 25, a certain number of testing kits that can do up to 26,000 tests will be rolled out. There is also an-going production of testing kits that can perform up to 120,000 tests.

Manufacturer Manila HealthTek Inc. is making these kits commercially available at P1,300, significantly cheaper than the ones currently used in hospitals, which can cost by up to P8,000. According to Gatchalian, this would give LGUs a more cost-efficient option in procuring their own test kits.

###

Gatchalian: palawigin pa ang quarantine para sa mas maaasahang mass testing

Pabor si Senador Win Gatchalian na palawigin ang "enhanced community quarantine" o ECQ ng dalawang linggo para malaman kung epektibo at maaasahan ang resulta ng isasagawang mass testing sa Abril 14.

Matatapos na ang ECQ sa Abril 12, bago pa magsimula ang naturang mass testing. Babala ni Gatchalian maaari kasing ma-kuwestiyon kung sapat o wasto ba ang resulta mula sa makakalap na datos lalo na't kapag wala nang ECQ ay mawawala na rin ang social distancing, na posibleng magpalala pa ng sitwasyon.

Ayon sa senador, ang dagdag na panahon ng ECQ ay kailangan din upang masuri nang mabuti ang makakalap na mga resulta.

Binigyang-diin ni Gatchalian ang papel ng mass testing upang malinawan ang bansa kung gaano kalaganap ang pagkalat ng virus. Aniya, kailangan ito upang mahanap ng mga otoridad ang mga pasyenteng kailangang sumailalim sa isolation. Paliwanag ng senador, dapat bigyang prayoridad ang mga Persons Under Monitoring o PUM, Persons Under Investigation o PUI, at mga frontliners na nagkaroon ng exposure sa mga pasyenteng may COVID-19.

Magiging bahagi din ng mass testing ang mga pasyenteng walang sintomas at patuloy sa paggala-gala na maaaring magkalat pa ng sakit. Ginawang halimbawa ni Gatchalian ang Iceland kung saan lumitaw sa isang laboratory mass testing na halos kalahati ng mga kumpirmadong kaso ng COVID-19 ay walang nakitaang sintomas o asymptomatic.

Ayon kay Gatchalian, mainam at napapanahon nang gawin ang hakbang na ito upang mabawasan ang mga kaso ng COVID-19 sa bansa. Makatutulong aniya ang mass testing na tukuyin kung sino ang dapat bigyang prayoridad sa mga ospital, lalo na't limitado ang kakayahan ng mga itong tanggapin ang mga pinaghihinalaan at kumpirmadong may COVID-19.

"Kung walang mass testing, mananatili tayong bulag at patuloy lamang na kakalat ang virus. Masasayang lamang ang isang buwan na ginugol natin para sa enhanced community quarantine," ani Gatchalian.

"Bagama't may ilang araw na lamang ang natitira bago magwakas ang enhanced community quarantine, nakikita nating patuloy pa rin ang pag-akyat ng bilang ng mga pasyenteng may COVID-19 sa bansa. Kaya dapat ipatupad pa rin ang social distancing habang mayroong mass testing," paliwanag ng senador.

###

News Latest News Feed