Mass testing needed to prove DOH’s ‘low infection rate’ claim —De Lima

The Philippine government needs to launch targeted mass testing as soon as possible to prove the Department of Health's claim of a "low infection rate" of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country, according to Senator Leila De Lima on Thursday.

"Tatagal pa ito, tataas pa ang mga numero. Hindi natin nakikita ang lakas ng kalaban dahil wala pang mass testing. Sa mass testing, lalabas kung nasaan ang konsentrasyon ng kalaban, ng COVID-19, sa mga komunidad at barangay," De Lima said in a message to GMA News Online.

"Pero bakit nga ba nagpapatumpik-tumpik pa ang gobyerno sa mass testing? Dahil lalabas na baka daang libo na ang infected?" she added. "Kaya pinapanatili tayong mangmang sa marahil totoong numero ng infection para patuloy tayong magtiwala sa kanilang kakayahan na bigyang lunas ang contagion na ito. Katotohanan–hindi katangahan–ang ating kailangan."

In a briefing late Wednesday, Health Secretary Francsico Duque III touted the "low" COVID-19 infection rate in the Philippines compared to other countries and attributing it to the orders given by President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Isa po tayo sa may mababa na rate of infection kaya ito po ay nagsasalamin ng mga desisyon na ginawa po ng ating mahal na Pangulo," Duque said.

He underscored that restrictions that were imposed on travelers from China and its Special Administrative Regions in February and the Luzon-wide lockdown in March helped in the prevention of the further spread of the contagion.

While acknowledging that the enhanced community quarantine really helped in slowing the rise in transmissions, De Lima said the administration could have taken more proactive steps.

"Kung sineryoso agad ng administrasyon ni Duterte ang banta ng COVID-19, mas naging maagap pa sana tayo sa paghahanda at pagsagip ng maraming buhay," she said.

"Hindi 'yung sasampalin lang daw niya (Duterte) ang virus, at mas inisip pa nila ang mararamdaman ng China kaya late na nagpatupad ng travel ban," she added.

Secretary Carlito Galvez, the chief implementer of the national action plan against COVID-19, said that the government is looking to start mass testing of persons suspected of having COVID-19 on April 14.

As of April 8, the Philippines recorded a total of 3,870 cases of COVID-19, with 182 deaths and 96 recoveries. — BM, GMA News