Roque says Oplan Kalinga should have been implemented before

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Wednesday said Oplan Kalinga, the house-to-house search for mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases, should have been implemented before to curb the spread of infection in communities.

At a press briefing, Roque was asked if the Palace is acknowledging that it had lapses in preventing the spread of COVID-19 after it was bared that one of the proposals was to place Metro Manila again under modified enhanced community quarantine due to the increase in the number of COVID cases.

"Ang nangyari naman sa atin ay hindi naman malala. Ang nangyari lang sa atin, naging flat 'yung ating case doubling rate. Naging seven to nine po ang ating case doubling rate, seven days to nine days... hindi na po natin napahaba pa kaya di tayo makaalis-alis ng GCQ..." Roque said.

"Alam na po natin ang mga bagay na dapat ginawa natin nang mas maaga. Itong Oplan Kalinga, dapat po siguro sa mula't mula eh ipinatupad na natin na kung wala kang sariling kuwarto, wala kang sariling banyo sa kuwarto mo, kinakailangan magpunta ka na sa isolation center," Roque explained.

"Ginagawa naman po natin ngayon 'yan. 'Yung mga centralized lockdown, nakita niyo naman 'yung ginawa ni Mayor [Lino] Cayetano, 300 cases sa isang building alone eh napigilan po natin 'yung pagkalat," he added.

Roque expressed confidence that with Oplan Kalinga, localized lockdowns and intensified enforcement of T3 (Test, Trace and Treat), Metro Manila could be put under a more eased quarantine status.

"With Oplan Kalinga, with localized lockdown, intensified T3, makikita po natin na ang case doubling rates sa Metro Manila ay humaba pa at makarating tayo ng modified GCQ," Roque said.

The national government has discouraged home quarantine for mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases to avoid further spread of the infection.

It said mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 patients should not be on home quarantine if they don't meet the three requirements of having their own room, own bathroom, and absence of vulnerable person in the house.

Under Oplan Kalinga, local health officials, assisted by policemen, would go house-to-house to search for mild COVID-19 cases and transport them to isolation facilities.

Recently, Roque also conceded there were shortcomings in the government’s efforts to curb the virus as he mentioned that the Philippines should have expanded its testing capacity as early as January.

Roque, however, noted that the country’s testing capacity has since improved. He said there are now more than 70 laboratory testing centers nationwide. — RSJ, GMA News