Workers in business process outsourcing, supermarkets and construction in key locations will be among the first to be a part of a private-sector led pooled testing program that aims to expand testing capacity, save on resources and allow more Filipinos to go back to work and enable the economy to open up more.
This developed as the government and private sector agrees the Philippines cannot afford another lockdown even in the wake of rising cases of infection.
DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez told the Laging Handa virtual briefing putting Metro Manila back to modified enhanced community quarantine will be a burden to the government and create financial pressure especially if another round of social amelioration program will be implemented.
“We have to limit (lockdown) , the intention is to slowly open the economy,” said Lopez, adding the country has to catch up with economic activities to provide jobs and livelihood to more Filipinos.
He also noted the government has opened 95 percent of industries and only those in category 5 like entertainment centers, moviehouses and activities like events and concerts remain closed due to the high transmission rate in convergence areas.
In a webinar, Rep. Janette Garin, project sector chief implementor of ARK-PCR, said the pooled testing on workers for the new coronavirus disease 2019 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) will be rolled out at the end of this month in six research centers Makati, Mandaluyong, Cebu, Zamboanga, the House of Representatives. The project will also cover overseas Filipino workers.
Garin said the Project ARK, which has been successful in making RT-PCR tests accessible and affordable to what they are now at P1,500 to P2,000, aims to bring down the test further to P350 to P375 by the time the pooled PCR test is conducted .
Garin said the project targetting the vulnerable will be incorporated with the return-to-work program and specific populations in local government units in cooperation with select foundations.
The pooled PCR tests a sample of workers from a specific areasand sector and does away from testing everyone in that area. A positive case on a sample of five will entail expansion of the testing sample.
A retest is done once an employee displays symptoms. When a workplace is infected, operations are suspended.
“Regular monthly testing is expensive and taxing on laboratories. This project enables for the implementation of targetted and select quarantine measures in the workplace,” Garin said.
She added the pooled PCR testing was drawn up balancing public health and the economy.
“This will reduce the work load on our laboratories and also
give LGUs and business clearer direction and
to allow us to sustain gains of our previous lockdown. We cannot afford a second lockdown,” Garin said.
Secretary Joey Concepcion, presidential adviser on entrepreneurship, said stricter quarantines should only be implemented when cases of the new coronavirus 2019 disease cases are “sky high.”