Guevarra: House-to-house search for COVID-infected persons not discussed by IATF

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday said the government's COVID-19 task force has not discussed a program for the "house-to-house" search for persons with the infectious disease.

"I am not aware of any 'house-to-house' search for COVID-afflicted persons. We have not discussed this matter in the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force), nor have I been consulted about it," Guevarra said in a message to reporters.

However, he said there is "ample legal basis" for transferring COVID-19-infected persons to government quarantine facilities if home quarantine is not possible.

"Under the law on mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases, it is the duty of the person afflicted or his family to report or give notice of his communicable disease to prevent any contagion," Guevarra said.

"On the other hand, it is the duty of the government, for public health reasons, to place the afflicted person in a quarantine facility if there is no adequate isolation area in such person's home," he said.

The official added that the IATF may discuss the house-to-house search issue in their next meeting.

But if the task force agrees there is a need for such a measure, Guevarra said "it should be the barangay health workers, and not police officers, who should do that."

"Health workers are in a better position to determine if transfer to a government quarantine facility is appropriate," he said.

It was Interior Secretary Eduardo Año who said local government personnel and police officers will go house-to-house to bring COVID-19-infected persons who live in homes with no capacity for quarantine to government isolation facilities.

He also said police officers will only assist health workers and local government personnel.

According to government officials, a patient must have his or her own room, own bathroom, and must not be living with an elderly, pregnant, or sick person to be allowed to do home quarantine.

Vince Dizon, the COVID-19 testing chief, said the program called Oplan Kalinga started on Sunday and Monday in Navotas and Malabon. Around 50 COVID-19 patients have been escorted from their houses to government facilities, he said.

The National Union of Peoples' Lawyers said the program is prone to abuse.—AOL,GMA News