Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 11) — COVID-9 testing coverage has been widened to include other frontliners such as social workers, quarantine personnel, barangay emergency response teams and jail and corrections staff, the Department of Health said on Thursday.
The agency said these workers will make up subgroup E, in its department memorandum order, considered as “frontliners directly involved in health care provision in the response against COVID-19.”
However, this does not mean that all members of this subgroup will be tested, the department clarified, adding that certain conditions need to be met.
“Kailangan mayroon ka pa ring close contact sa probable o kumpirmadong kaso ng COVID-19 bago ka sa sumailalim sa testing,” said Ma. Rosario Vergeire, Health spokesperson, in th virtual media briefing.
[Translation: There has to be close contact with a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case before you undergo testing.]
This refers to direct physical contact or interaction with a case within a meter distance lasting at least 15 minutes, Vergeire said, or taking care of a suspected or probable case without wearing protective gear.
The DOH also said other vulnerable people such as those who will undergo high-risk operations, elective surgical procedures and those living in confined spaces like prisons will also be covered as subgroup F.
The department also announced that there are now 57 laboratories that can conduct COVID-19 tests. It earlier said actual testing capacity is 10,000 per day.
