Government to finally start COVID-19 mass testing on April 14

The government has finally considered mass testing as a response to COVID-19 crisis.

In a statement by National Action Plan chief implementor Secretary Carlito Galvez, he said the government is expecting to start the mass testing of all PUIs and PUMs by April 14.

“We expect that by April 14, we should be able to start massive testing,” said Galvez.

“On the massive testing for PUIs and PUMs, we are also determined to fast-track the accreditation of substantial laboratories so we can start with the mass testing of the PUIs and PUMs,” he added.

The Philippines has been lagging in terms of testing COVID-19 cases compared to our neighboring countries. DOH and IATF have always argued that it is not yet time for the country to start mass testing because of our capabilities.

However, with the arrival of thousands of testing kits from other countries and the opening of several sub-national laboratories that can now accept COVID-19 tests, it is expected that the number of tested individuals in the country will increase.

Based on the latest data from DOH, a total of 4,726 people have already been tested for COVID-19.

Mass testing has long been called for by different sectors since the start of the crisis.

Several celebrities, health professionals, and ordinary netizens have been taking to social media for quite some time to ask the government to conduct mass testing.

Disiplina muna bago solusyong medikal? Even if we follow all the rules, we can get sick just by going to work or buying groceries. Checkpoint scans don’t catch asymptomatic cases; incubation phase is 2-14 days. Want to stop the virus and calm ppl down? CONDUCT FREE MASS TESTING.

— [email protected]diokno.org (@PepeDiokno) March 15, 2020

#MassTestingNowPH #MassTestingNowPH#MassTestingNowPH #MassTestingNowPH#MassTestingNowPH #MassTestingNowPH #MassTestingNowPH #MassTestingNowPH#MassTestingNowPH #MassTestingNowPH #MassTestingNowPH #MassTestingNowPH #MassTestingNowPH#MassTestingNowPH #MassTestingNowPH

— Agot Isidro (@agot_isidro) March 21, 2020

https://twitter.com/JERDEEEE/status/1243167834550595586

https://twitter.com/raymondnaguit/status/1243830767718772739

With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in every passing day, we should recognize the significance and merits of mass testing in our country. The UST-SHS HA Society stands with the Filipino people in fighting for Mass Covid Testing in the Philippines. #MassTestingNowPH pic.twitter.com/uHRmTLbNsZ

— UST SHS Health Allied Society (@ustshshasoc) April 2, 2020

Pls copy, paste and post:

ALLOW MARIKINA CITY COVID TESTING CENTER NOW!#MassTestingNowPH pic.twitter.com/4vjP8vO9iS

— Gabriela Youth #IWWD2020 (@gabrielayouthph) March 26, 2020

Home quarantine and lockdown are simply NOT enough. Mass testing and isolation are the key factors in controlling the unseen enemy. Let’s do what South Korea did! Hindi yung sasampalin ang veerus. #MassTestingNowPH

— 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐲 (@krizzy_kalerqui) March 27, 2020

It’s a good thing that the clamor has now been heard and the government will now be working on the mass testing that is quite long overdue.