Lacson urges DOH to fast-track release of COVID-19 test results

Senator Panfilo Lacson urged the Department of Health (DOH) to fast-track the release of COVID-19 test results to one to two days in order to curb the further spread of the diseases in the country.

In a radio interview on Saturday, Lacson lamented that while the number of COVID-19 tests conducted daily had increased, it still took days before the results were released.

He cited the case of one of his staff who took a COVID-19 test after losing the sense of smell and taste, but it took seven days before the results came in.

"Hindi pa rin nag-i-improve ang mga gap sa pagte-test at paglabas ng resulta. Dapat talaga ma-improve yan," Lacson said.

"Marami na tayong pang-test mga PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machines kung saan-saan na, at dapat binigyan nila at least man lang one to two days nariyan na ang resulta para hindi na makahawa pa ang positive na hindi pa nila alam na positive," he added.

The Philippines on Saturday surpassed 54,000 cases of COVID-19, with 14,037 recoveries and 1,372 deaths, as the number of confirmed cases reported daily reaches more than 1,000 recently.

Lacson attributed this to the increasing number of tests conducted daily.

Nevertheless, he called on authorities concerned with the government's response to COVID-19 to "be accurate" with the reporting on COVID-19 cases and ramp up their contact tracing efforts.

"Kung natandaan ninyo di dapat dumami dahil may mag-asawang galing Wuhan sumakay ng eroplano galing Cebu... doon nagsimula ang unang kaso natin ang mag-asawang yan na galing Wuhan pa. Doon nag-originate ang COVID. So ang maipapayo natin, maging makatotohanan sana sa pagre-report," he said.

Lacson also said that individuals and business establishments should also do away with overpricing of goods amid the pandemic.

"Isantabi muna ang katakawan sa pangungurakot. Patawarin na muna ang pandemic kasi nagkakamatay ang kababayan tapos sasamantalahin pa. Parang yan na ang height ng greed and insatiability," he said. — DVM, GMA News