DOH targets reducing COVID-19 detection, isolation process to 5 days

The Department of Health on Saturday said they were seeking to shorten the process of detection and isolation of COVID-19 patients to five days.

During the Laging Handa briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the national government’s decision to relax the quarantine classification came with the local government’s responsibility to provide a faster response in terms of COVID-19 detection and isolation.

“Ang sabi sa recommendation, we will go to GCQ with heightened restrictions pero dapat ang local governments should shorten the period na nade-detect ang may sakit hanggang ma-isolate natin sila,” Vergeire said.

(The recommendation is we will go to the GCQ with heightened restrictions but the LGUs should shorten the period of detection until the patient’s isolation.)

“Ang ating target ngayon at titingnan natin na hanggang 5.5 days lang (ang average period). Kasi ang average ngayon is ranging from nine to 11 days bago maisolaate ang taong may sakit. So dapat mapababa natin ng 5.5 days and this would be done through the efforts of the local government,” she added.

(We target an average of 5.5 days because currently, we are averaging from 9 to 11 days. So we should cut it down to 5.5 days and this would be done through the efforts of the local government.)

In his Thursday night public address, President Rodrigo Duterte placed Metro Manila and nearby provinces Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna - the National Capital Region Plus area - under a general community quarantine "with heightened restrictions" from May 15 until May 31, 2021. )

Economic activities such as dine-in restaurant services, al fresco dining, outdoor tourist activities are allowed but in a limited capacity.

On Saturday, the DOH reported 6,739 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total tally to 1,138,187.— DVM, GMA News