Mass testing of private sector employees who would resume work won't be shouldered by gov't —DTI chief

Mass testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) of private sector employees who would report back to work in areas under the general community quarantine (GCQ) will not be shouldered by the government, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said on Tuesday.

"Hindi po sagot ng gobyerno subalit 'yun na rin po ang magiging practice ng mga kumpanya na gustong magsigurado," Lopez said in an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita.

He said the private sector employers could require the workers to fill out health declaration forms which can then be used to streamline who needs to be tested.

"Option po ng mga opisina—of course ang ine-encourage po ay 'yung PCR test pero 'yun po ay limitado ang gamit sa ngayon. 'Yung mga factory or 'yung mga offices, 'yun naman po ang magiging batayan nila," Lopez said.

"'Yung mga alanganin, may mga nakatabi na COVID positive o masama ang pakiramdam, 'yun naman po ay pwedeng i-subject sa mga PCR test," he added.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) said it will cover the costs of COVID-19 tests conducted in hospitals and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine-accredited laboratories.

According to the Department of Health, there are over 76,000 individuals who have undergone COVID-19 tests in the Philippines, as of April 25. A daily testing capacity of at least 8,000 is being eyed by the end of April.

President Rodrigo Duterte extended the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and other high-risk areas until May 15.

A relaxed general community quarantine will be implemented outside these areas to allow more establishments to resume operations.

Among the industries that could resume full operations in GCQ areas starting May 1 were agriculture, fisheries, food manufacturing, food retail, logistics, and media.

On the other hand, manufacturing of electronics and exports, e-commerce and delivery for essential and non-essential items, repair and maintenance services, housing, and office services may operate at 50 to 100% capacity.

Public transportation would also resume at reduced capacity in GCQ areas.—AOL, GMA News