COVID-19 task force tells hospitals to get patients' consent to bare names

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases on Friday ordered hospitals to get the consent of confirmed COVID-19 cases for the disclosure of their identities for contact tracing purposes.

In an online address, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles stressed the need to get the patient's prior approval in making public his identity.

"To encourage the voluntary coordination with the epidemiology and surveillance units of close contacts of patients who tested positive for COVID-19, and subject to the rights of patients to withhold consent, all health facilities, whether public or private, are directed to request for the consent of said patients for public disclosure of their identities," Nograles said as he read the fresh directives from the IATF-EID.

"Pakiusap po para matulungan yung contract tracing, paki-ask and COVID patient if they're willing to disclose their identities to the public," he said.

The present policy does not allow disclosure of the patient's identity unless volunteered by the person.

The number of persons infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) leaped to 803 following the 96 new cases reported by the Department of Health (DOH) Friday.

Of the cases, 54 have died while 31 have recovered, the Heath department said in its daily bulletin.

As of Friday, the DOH has conducted 2,287 tests. Of the number, 791 have tested negative while 691 have pending results.

There are 744 persons under investigation and 6,321 persons under monitoring for the virus. —LDF, GMA News